MSUB IT Week 5

I'm disappointed in myself. I didn't give this last project my full attention. Just like in a real classroom, as a virtual group, we faced the usual challenges -- trying to get together, being too democratic rather than decisive in setting a direction and making assignments for work. As usual, we all whined to each other about lack of time. We should have just sat down and made decisions. Every group needs a leader and no one ever stepped forward. I got bogged down when I became frustrated with the MSUB email system and my inability to access this, and let it completely derail me. I should have re-focused sooner. I started the Powerpoint and our "Chat" document, and checked on it a couple of times, but not much progress was made until the last minute. All of this is just like a group meeting in a physical classroom. The technology didn't fail us, we failed to take advantage of the technology. Also, I got frustrated with working in Google docs -- it is good enough to deliver the basics, but frustrating when you want to do more. Couldn't figure out how to upload a video from my desktop to the PP, so I had to link to it on Youtube, which I don't like. Not as clean and, with students, who knows what will show up on the "tease" videos down the right hand side. Used Google images to search for graphics/photos for 1-1 in use; regardless of the search terms I entered, I got computer labs and other desktop PCs, not wireless laptops, which is what 1-1 is all about. I should have taken photos of my class, and others in the school, before I left China, to show examples. Totally didn't think of it. As a group, we did okay, but didn't do our best work.

MSUB Week 4

This project was relatively easy and gave me an opportunity to use PowerPoint in Microsoft Office 2011 for the first time. Vast improvements! Easier to use, create bullet points/numbered lists, and most importantly, format backgrounds and add video. I have a lot to learn, and some of the things I used to do with formatting text aren't the same, or I haven't figured them out yet. Overall, I really like it, something I don't often say about Microsoft upgrades.

Our project was fun to do, and helped me focus on the transition to teaching more often with shorter PowerPoints and projects/assignments related to those topics. I think the graphics and fewer words help our ESL students. Now, time to go catch a plane for Montana!

MSUB Week 3

Everything was fine with the Excel spreadsheet except, what I can't figure out, is that your raw numbers kept shifting. When a kid gets a 20 on a quiz, I enter a 20 and that number does not shift. For some reason, your numbers did. I can understand the percentage shifting, but not the raw numbers. Did I do something wrong? As a result, I couldn't total your raw numbers and divide them by the raw possible total to get a percentage. I am really good at the basic Excel I need to know, but I need a class on higher levels formulas. The online stuff you posted didn't go beyond basics. What is sad to say is that, when I worked on my Undergrad 35 years ago, I had to take Fortran, Basic, Cobalt, and I hated that -- it has led to an aversion to computers and stats that is with me still.

Biggest barrier to tech in an international school for individual teachers is time. We land in a new country just a few days before we start at a new school. We have to learn the culture, enough language to get by, buy basics like food and sometimes furniture, learn to handle new cuisine and experiences, recover from jet lag, unpack everything, and then learn our new schools culture and layout. All this on the fly. We are on 2 to 3 year contracts, so we pack up our tent and move on to the next exotic locale . Tough to establish set routines and any sense of permanent structure for our classes. I've never taught higher than G2 and 3 English, and now I am doing G6 math, science, LA, and health, plus G8 social studies and coaching volleyball. Lot to learn in short time period, and my kids are still just getting used to their new lap tops.

CIQ -- Billings

Blog

It this point in the semester, I would like you to complete a "Critical Incident Questionnaire." The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide me with some feedback on where you are currently. Here are the questions I would like you to address:

1. At what moment in class have you felt most engaged with what was happening?
2. At what moment in class were you most distanced from what was happening?
3. What action that anyone (teacher or student) took thus far did you find most affirming or helpful?
4. What action that anyone took thus far did you find most puzzling or confusing?
5. What about the class thus far surprised you the most? (This could be about your own reactions to what went on, something that someone did, or anything else that happened.)

Critical Incident Questionnaire

1. I have felt most engaged when I am actually involved with the class – the projects have helped me realize I know more about tech than I knew. Frankly, I am not sure how much of this I would have been able to use if I had taught in the US, with fewer resources. I have taught with Google Docs, Smartboards (not enough!), PowerPoints, iPhoto, and podcasting. My class web page has an assignment calendar and I am uploading assignments to studnes, who must download them and then upload their work. We should have a class wiki functioning when I return from Montana in mid-October, and I am building online work for them to do through Moodle, so I can monitor the class even when I am in the US and they are in China. By December, I will have my Class webpage built using Dreamweaver, and I am improving my skills with Adobe Photoshop. Cool beans!

2. I am distant when I am not able to use the Internet, it comes and goes here. Hard to believe, but at one point in the past, “Big Brother” decided it needed the school’s domain name and took it over. We lost the Net for about 10 hours today, when workmen fixing a plumbing problem in the next flat did something with a drill. Frustrating, since this was my best day for working on MSU-B stuff. Now, in eight hours, Jack and I will be leading the G11 and G12 classes on a field trip to western China and won’t return until Thursday evening. The first night will be spent in a lodge atop a mountain, and I’m not sure how much internet access I will have – there is a two hour hike to get there. However, even when I am not working on my MSUB lessons, it is always on my mind, and in a good way. Refreshing to take stock in all that I have learned and experienced since becoming a teacher.

3. Mostly, just reassuring comments from Bill Weber and Lynette, my other online instructor. I have known Lynette when I was an on-campus student, and she has been very supportive during the past week.

4. What has been puzzling and confusing so far has not been a human, but an inanimate object – I detest the MSUB online course format. Not user friendly, hard to navigate, never sure if I have completed my assignments, and the email pane is very difficult to see. Broke my glasses (not been my month!) and haven’t been able to see some of the buttons. I understand that email management is better with the MSUB class messages staying within that domain, but I find it frustrating that I cannot just receive my email in my normal Gmail account – would be much faster, and easier to read. Technology has not been my friend this week; wasted three hours trying to buy flight tickets home for dad’s memorial service and the Net kept crashing, had to call cheaptickets.com to secure my tickets, and got disconnected in the middle of my Skype conversation. Finally gave up and had a local travel agent book them. Enough complaining, already! Oh, and Toby hasn’t come home, and is probably gone for good. Very sad.

5. Class surprise? Not sure if I would use that term, other than like I said, surprised at my own competence with tech. My proficiency crept on me, I have been using a lot of it without stopping to think about it.

My new ebike!

Only way to get around here is by bike, either peddle or electric, which is the route I took, for 300 USD. Goes about 25 mph, and needs to be charged roughly every 30 miles -- that part is fuzzy and dependent upon many factors. Nearly impossible to get Chinese Drivers license, way too many questions, and Chinglish can make it hard to understand.

China Daily

Wow, what a weekend. My father died less than 72 hours ago and I'm still trying to figure out home to get home for his memorial service from halfway round the globe. To access this Blog, which I created while in Germany this summer, I had to download and install a VPN on my computer, with Jack's help. After successfully clearing the tech hurdle, having the VPN has been liberating -- it allowed me to access Facebook again, for the first time in seven weeks, and that contact with the outside world has really lifted my spirits. Now, after letting out one of our cats, Toby, I'm worried that he hasn't come home and it is almost midnight. He used to do this in Qatar and in Montana, but he doesn't meow Chinese and has only been here ten days. I keep going to the door of our flat and call for him, but no response yet. Too early with him to panic.

In response to my questions from my Tech in Ed class, I haven't been in the class long enough to learn a great deal, but I had great professional development in the last week with using the SmartBoard in class. Now, if my classroom only had one. I am using Classjump.com for my class web page and management site -- the kids upload their homework to me, and I use the calendar to schedule their assignments, tests, etc. This is new for me, and so I'm still getting past the rough spots. I have to train other staff members in using PowerTeacher, our school gradebook program, since I used it the last two years in Qatar.

Also, I am very frustrated with the online learning site MSUB is using -- it does not flow well, it is not user friendly, and it is poorly laid out. The email system is a joke, and very hard to read on a 15 inch laptop screen. I didn't like the old system MSUB had, but it was better than the new one.

Had my iPhone stolen two weeks ago and feel lost without it. Had the "Find My iPhone" app installed, and it tracked the phone for a while, but no response for more than 10 days. We looked at buying iPads when we were in Germany, but the top of the line was 800 euros, and with the exchange rate, that makes it more than 1200 USD (at that time).

Jack and I are scheduled to lead the Grade 11 and 12s to a week long trip to Szechuan province a week from today, which I am looking forward to; Jack is homeroom adviser for Grade 11 and teaches G11 and 12 in AP history.

Anyway, it's been a tough weekend. Hope my cat comes home soon.