Final Reflections, Progress, and Predicitions

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."

-Walt Whitman

Photo taken by Nicole E. Muchowicz, Illinois 2014

Opinion on Technology's Use In Education
Before taking the course "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum", I was ignorant to many online tools that would be useful in the classroom. In the classroom, I had used a digital projector, an online learning module, and power points. My technological experience, confidence, and interest was very limited. I was convinced that the best way to reach other people is through organic experiences and not detached social media venues.
During this course, however, I tried many new web tools to use in the classroom. Although, I still feel that a real book is more enjoyable than reading an online text, I have expanded my technological preferences.  I realized that there are copious amounts of web tools that foster creativity, communication, and community.  I feel that technology is an ally to modern day teachers and students and I am now much more enthusiastic about using it.

Am I More Prepared to Teach 21st Century Learners?
Now that the course has ended, I feel more prepared to connect and communicate with them using technology. There are ways to use technology to differentiate lesson plans for all learners. For example, you can use "Blabberize", "Prezi" or a digital story to present information to students who may have different needs when it comes to accessing information.  There are also different ways to provide students with valuable feedback, such as using "Audioboo"or a Wiki page. Assignments can be made using various mediums.  This is a great way to expand literacy and digital literacy.  Being able to understand a medium that my students are exposed to and use frequently does make me more prepared to teach 21st century learners. I want to meet my students where they are and technology is certainly a vehicle.

Photo taken by Nicole E. Muchowicz, Illinois, 2014

My Favorite WebTools
The WebTools I found most enjoyable were Blogger, Prezi, Wordle, QR Codes, and Weebly. Blogger was a great way to express my thoughts and experiences in a progressive way.  Prezi is an easily navigable site that will allow me to present information to my students in an interactive and interesting way. Wordle is a great tool to explore repetition and theme in my future English classrooms. QR Codes could serve as great anticipatory sets or lesson plan for a unit. I found Weebly to be very useful.  Using it to create a professional website was valuable and necessary for me as a teacher fresh in the field.  I am relieved that I have a professional web presence and a professional learning network developed. I would not have had these professional resources were it not for this course and the WebTools that I used.

Final Reflections 
Although I remain firm in my interest in organic experiences and real books, I have become enlightened to a new realm that will help me teach and relate to my students. I am glad that I have gained insight and wisdom. As a teacher and lifelong learner, that's always a good thing.

Photo taken by Nicole E. Muchowicz, Illinois, 2014

Digital Tattoos

"Wear your heart on your skin in this life."- Sylvia Plath

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.33rdsquare.com/2012/11/juan-enriquez-on-big-data-and-tattoos.html

Digital Tattoos
Tattoos inked upon your skin and the mark your actions leave on the omnipresent canvas of the internet  have something in common: permanence.

When entering into a tattoo parlor, one would hopefully have the insight to have come prepared with an idea of what they wanted to get, where, and the means to pay for it. There are also expectations when entering a tattoo parlor. I know I expect, cleanliness, respect, talent, focus, and safety at all times. An understanding of the concept of tattoos is required: they are permanent.  Ideas, expectations, and understanding require thought. Unfortunately, when getting tattoos, there are more than a few people who forget to put in the thought required. Because of the permanent nature of tattoos, this thoughtlessness can quickly turn into permanent regret.

From Footprint to Tattoo 
The trail an individual leaves while foraging through the internet wilderness has been referred to as their"digital footprint." The sites we have visited, the words we have typed, the images we have shared all remain impressed on the vast internet floor. However, a footprint can be washed away, your trail on the internet cannot. Thus, a better analogy for the information trail we leave online would be.... a digital tattoo and that is what our permanent online presence is called.

Photo taken by Nicole E. Muchowicz

The Importance of this Distinction
I think back to my childhood and all of the temporary tattoos I had my mom hold onto my skin, underneath a damp rag for thirty seconds. I remember there were a lot. There was even the temporary tongue tattoo that accompanied the wrapper of Fruit Stripe gum.  Those tattoos are not something I would have wanted to last my entire life.  I do happen to be an individual with actual ink tattoos. I have experienced the ongoing permanence of having body art.  I comprehend that there are certain types of perceptions, stereotypes, and judgements many people make about tattoos.   The same perceptions, stereotypes and judgements can also be made about the persona and information an individual posts online. I recently found out that information on dormant websites can be resurrected with the proper programming. It was my naivete that made me shocked at this fact.  I believe students, teachers, parents, and every other person should put as much thought into the permanence of their actions online as though it were being tattooed onto their person permanently.  It is possible our digital tattoos will outlast us, and may even be our artifacts or legacy for future generations to see.

Photo taken from Pinterest

The Problem with Permanence
Ink tattoos and digital tattoos are both permanent and both sometimes need context for complete understanding. Someone may look at a tattoo and assume what it means, but unless the context is explained, all they have are generalizations and assumptions to piece together the meaning.  A person often (and hopefully) accompanies an ink tattoo and the person will be there to explain the context and meaning of their tattoo. As for digital tattoos, someone may never meet you, never see you, but only have access to a sound byte's equivalent of information about a person without any context and still make a judgement. People form judgements very quickly and can access a myriad of information on anyone who has used the internet and it is important to monitor the online persona that is available to the world.  There are benefits of having meaningful information on anyone's "digital tattoo". A curriculum vitae, resume, writing samples, accomplishments, and other positive facets can be a part of an individual's digital tattoo. However, unfortunately, inappropriate photographs, unsavory comments, or just plain bad behavior can all be documented and forever imprinted on an individual's "digital tattoo".  This can come back to haunt an individual, even if they have gone through life changes and periods of enlightenment, the digital tattoo remains.

There is a safeguard for ink tattoos: you need to be 18 to get one (or have parental consent under certain conditions. It typically costs a lot of money, and there are only designated places to get a tattoo.

As for a digital tattoo, anyone can make a permanent mark at anytime, anywhere. An accidental "Post" could be a permanent mistake.  Internet access is now almost everywhere-which makes the world a universal digital tattoo parlor.  Because of the permanence of our digital lives, it is important to enlighten and educate our students on the safeguards, privacy and precaution that need to be used when  using the internet.

I believe that if technology is used in the classroom, technology etiquette and privacy should be discussed.

Teaching Twitter

"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion it has taken place." -George Bernard Shaw

Photo taken by Nicole E. Muchowicz, Illinois, 2014

An "Old Soul" Uses Twitter 

Many times in the past, by a variety of people, I have been referred to as an "old soul". I'm not sure if the phrase was meant to connote wise, or  serve as an observation that I have a passion for history and seeking out antiques. I appreciate vintage aesthetics. I prefer taking pictures with a manual camera and developing film in a dark room instead of using a digital camera and uploading pictures to iPhoto. I prefer reading a book bound with paper and filled with ink, so I can breathe it in as I read, opposed to reading on a Kindle or Nook.  I love the sound of a vinyl record filling the room with real music opposed to listening to an i-Pod (even though, I will absolutely listen to music on any device).  I do not have a facebook. I do not have an instagram. Until enrolling in the course, "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum", I often had a sour grapes attitude when it came to technology, despite its many advances and benefits. However, once I began to use technology to communicate effectively, I began to let my guard down.  I found the benefits of creating an online Professional Portfolio to be extremely useful in organizing my professional goals and achievements.  It also gave me a professional presence and confidence.  This technology blog and Blogger have been a great way to express myself and use technology and communication symbiotically. Overall, I was beginning to actually enjoy using technology.  I found many of the tools to be easy to use and accessible. The only technology tool I was unsure of in the beginning and throughout my encounter with was Twitter. When I heard that our graduate course was going to be signing up for a Twitter account, I was intimidated.  I had never used Twitter before. I never had any interest in signing up for Twitter.  Alas, I could not make a judgement based on ignorance and I did sign up for Twitter. Twitter, I found, was also under the umbrella of Professional Learning Networks that teachers can use to explore resources and discuss ideas. The following are some of my experiences... Here is a link to My Twitter Feed. 

Screen Shot taken by https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

My Twitter Encounter
As a teacher, it is important to know your students; and students know Twitter. I found it interesting to explore some of the same resources my students had access to and to experience the community and type of communication that came along with it. I enjoyed playing with the aesthetics and designing the layout of the site as I started to build my profile. There were plenty of opportunities for creativity.  I immediately felt part of a community, as our graduate course "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum" had its own page where we could share our Twitter findings. Seeing the educational influences and discovering the personal teaching philosophies of my peers through their Twitter feeds was meaningful. I realized Twitter could be a valuable Professional Learning Network for me.  Networking, not only with others, but with the ideas and philosophies of others is a great way to improve as a teacher, or any occupation.  Sharing the experience with my peers also helped me through the growing pains of navigating Twitter and made it fun. (See photos below)

Screen Shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

Screen shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

Twitter and #EdChat

Another aspect of a Professional Learning Network that Twitter had to offer were scheduled or impromptu chats for professionals.  Here, individuals could share their insights, philosophies, links, and policies, all concerning the same content matter. The Professional Learning Network chat that I participated in was called #EdChat. It is a chat room hosted by Twitter, where educators can discuss policies, curriculum, hot topics, and anything else under the sun concerning education.  I had never participated in a chat before, and I was prepared for it to go fast but I wasn't prepared for what actually happened...

Screen shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

....I entered the chat room and introduced myself as a new teacher.  My first response and recognition within the chat room was that "New Teacher Chat is on break this week." I immediately felt out of place and unwelcome. Return to sour grapes. Thank you for the information on the new teacher chat schedule, but I believe that new teachers also happen to be teachers with insight and wisdom to share, as well as, veteran teachers. However, I decided to remain within the chat room and see if a) anyone else would address me and b) if I could offer anything to the #EdChat tableau. As it turns out, I did....

I offered up some of the things I was passionate about. Such as the Ted Talk with Chimamanda Adichie on "The Danger of a Single Story", which influenced me as a teacher and human. 

Screen Shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz
(The link is embedded in the above paragraph)

Screen Shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

I shared some ideas about teaching that I had learned through my own experiences and related to my own personal teaching philosophies.  I even suggested some teachers follow the link to some research based findings involving Khan Academy. The link is related to a study on an Oakland, CA that used Khan Academy to greatly increase their performance. Here is the link to check it out yourself: Khan Academy-Oakland, CA Case Study

Screen shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

I felt that this would be a great resource to share with other teachers, and I think some of the fellow "tweeters" agreed.  I even got "retweeted"! 

Screen shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

Gained Insight and Resources:

One resource that I found while networking on Twitter came from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Their tweet, which I promptly "retweeted", included a wise quotation and an article link. The article discussed how debate and communication between students can lead to even more effective teaching practices. The link to the article is: Harvard Graduate School of Education Article.

Screen shot taken from https://twitter.com/nicolemuchowicz

The above quotation inspired me and let my imagination run a course of possibilities. It is even something I would hang up in my classroom to encourage students to speak up and have all voices heard, for each voice is important. Within the article, a teacher in the field speaks about the value of debate, conversation, and communication between students, teachers, and the world. I can now appreciate Twitter as a resource for communication and extended ideas in the educational field. I will consider it a way to connect with student perspectives and ideas to influence students, but I still cannot see myself as a constant "Tweeter".  My tenure with Twitter was brief, but educational, and I must say, I am glad I participated and became enlightened in regards to another educational tool. 

QR Codes and Lillian Hellman

"Old paint on a canvas sometimes becomes transparent.  When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman's dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter "repented", changed his mind.  Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again." -Lillian Hellman

Personal Painting by Nicole E. Muchowicz

What in green acre are QR Codes?

I've seen them. You've seen them. I think in this country, we have all seen them. The little ubiquitous images that appear in bus station terminals and on advertisements. And in some classrooms... QR Code stands for Quick Response Code and it works like a barcode but with technology as its agent. You may find these square bar codes anywhere, but it seems that you need a smart phone or a downloaded app in order to access the information the QR Code holds.  Once you do access the very quick response from the code, a whole new world may open up, whether augmented or mental. QR Codes can be linked to literature, maps, visual presentations, videos, and websites; they can all be accessed immediately with a quick scan. 

QR Codes and Literature Lesson Plan on "The Children's Hour" by Lillian Hellman

I thought that I would be able to incorporate QR Codes into my English classroom. The idea of a multi-layered and interactive text appeals to my comparative sensibilities, as far as literature is concerned.  After finding the aforementioned Lillian Hellman quote, I knew that I would incorporate QR codes into a lesson designed after one of my favorite plays written by Lillian Hellman, entitled, "The Children's Hour".  The QR Codes will contain many different texts and materials with the central theme of "The Children's Hour".This lesson would be placed at the end of the unit on the play, after the full-text has been discussed in its own context.  In previous lesson plans, where technology was integrated I had used technology as an anticipatory set or a contextual framework for a future or current text in the classroom. This time, I wanted to integrate the technology toward the end of the unit so that it promoted critical thinking about the text the students have studied and already established a dialogue with. Once a dialogue is established with a text, context and content are mastered, and a student is ready to make tangential connections to other texts with a common theme or context, they will be ready to use comparative literature techniques to propel their critical thinking about the piece as it is relative to other texts of various mediums. 

Following the full reading of the play, I would ask my students if they knew what a QR Code was? Has anyone used or made one before? Why are they relevant?  Then, I would demonstrate how to scan a QR code.  After the demonstration, I would instruct the students to go around the room with their phones or appropriate devices and scan the QR Codes.  Each code will have a comparative text pertinent to the play, "The Children's Hour" by Lillian Hellman.  The students may use the entire period to explore the QR Codes, as some are videos, and some just need moments of contemplation.  As an assessment of the text and the tools used, I would ask my students to write a synthesized essay on the play, "The Children's Hour" and the comparative texts provided from the QR Codes. Students may choose the three most appealing QR Codes for their synthesis. 

Ms. Muchowicz's QR Codes for "The Children's Hour

QR CODE I: "The Children's Hour" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

QR CODE II: Quotation from Lillian Hellman

                          QR CODE III: Scene from the film "The Children's Hour" Directed by William Wyle

QR CODE IV: Gate Theatre, Dublin
Cavendish Row
(Where one of the first productions was performed)

QR CODE V: Timeline Theatre's Dramaturgy and "The Children's Hour"
http://www.timelinetheatre.com/childrens_hour/CH_StudyGuide.pdf

QR CODE VI: Shirley MacLaine on "Celluloid Closet"
 discussing "The Children's Hour"

QR CODE VII: Human Rights Campaign

Experience

I have scanned QR codes but had never made one until today. QR stuff was an easy website. Simple QR Code generation is free. Upgraded services do come at a price. I was pleased with how easy the website "QR Stuff" made it to create codes.  My only upset was that the free QR Code generator did not link images.  There were some images I would have included within my lesson and QR Codes, such as the picture of some of the set design interpretations from the plays or perhaps a picture of Lillian Hellman, herself.  I did have a question however:  how one would cite the information linked to the QR Code.  Is citation necessary since the code leads to a direct resource? I would love to use QR Codes for future lesson plans or even as links within a syllabus. I am happy I have another tool on my teaching belt. 

Resorces:

-Hellman, Lillian. "The Children's Hour". 1934
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BySaTyRBvOI
-Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, "The Children's Hour"
-http://www.gatetheatre.ie/
-http://www.timelinetheatre.com/childrens_hour/CH_StudyGuide.pdf
-http://www.hrc.org/

Infographics and Elie Wiesel

“There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you.” 
― Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel, 1943
Photo Courtesy of: http://perlaworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/05/elie-wiesel.html

What is an Infographic?

An infographic is a visual or graphic interpretation of facts, data, and knowledge. Typically, any complex information should be represented simply.  An infographic can contain flowcharts, interactive media, bar graphs, etc. and it can be published online. The infographic site I used to create my own was Piktochart, which was free.  There was an option to upgrade to pro, and pay a fee, but we'll talk more about that later...

 Using An Infographic to Teach a Lesson Plan on "Night" by Elie Wiesel

My intent for integrating an infographic into an English or Reading Lesson Plan was to provide students with accessible knowledge about the background and context of the literature and authors we will be reading. Since an infographic is condensed, informative, and visually stimulating, using an infographic to introduce a world of context to the students would be a great way to encourage text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections, which are important in understanding the meaning of the text.  The students would be able to access information online or on one piece of paper while they examine the text, using the infographic. The choice to use "Night" by Elie Wiesel as the subject for my classroom infographic was done specifically and intentionally.  The historical and experiential context of the book is of the utmost importance.  Understanding the atrocity of the Holocaust is important to gaining more meaning from the text.   Knowing the background of the author is also specifically important in creating an intimate dialogue with Elie Wiesel's "Night".  The infographic  would serve as a tool for a contextual and background lesson, as well as, being an aesthetic hook for the students' interest in the text. Following the exploration of the infographic, students would then individually read Elie Wiesel's "Night".  Since, the Holocaust is unfortunately heavy with information, alliances, death, and complete destruction, multiple infographics may be useful throughout the entire unit of the text for informational grouping. I chose the format of the newspaper infographic, not only for an aesthetic homage to vintage papers of the 1940's, but also as a way to group information in a way that would have been received during the time of the experience of Elie Wiesel in his memoir.  The horror's of the Holocaust on the front page news, or sometimes hidden away, can be represented with the use of a newspaper format when dealing with this text. Following the full reading of "Night", I would instruct students to create their own infographic and demonstrate their understanding of meaning and context as they experienced and discovered it within the text.

I would encourage students to access the infographic (see bottom of page) online opposed to a print out because there is a video accompanying the information. The idea of a multimedia and technological infographic appeals to me (and I imagine, my students) because by nature infographics throw a lot of data and statistics at you, which can overload the brain, but organization can alleviate that. Having multimedia sections and options on the infographic allow for a mental compartmentalization and organization of information and multiple ways of accessing the information for different types of learners (visual, audio, etc.). Infographics could also be used as a tool for the Universal Design for Learning to function in the classroom curriculum, since it offers multiple ways to access information. .

Entrance to Auschwitz
Photo Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_mass_transport_to_Auschwitz_concentration_camp

Experience with Infographics:

I had a successful experience creating my very first infographic (again, see below) for my English Classroom. I felt that Piktochart was easily navigable and since it has a free option, it is easy to use within the classroom. It is also a great way to create your own classroom charts and also incorporate into interdisciplinary lessons.  Another feature that I liked about Piktochart was that there was a "new editor" and an "old editor" version for individuals on different places on the technology spectrum. The option to transcend planned obsolescence by going back to a simpler and older version of the site and still access the new site was an intriguing trait that I liked. They are a current and efficient tool and I will definitely be using infographics in my future lesson plans. Please check out my very first infographic below. Thank you. :)  

Infographic

Explorations with Blabberize and Virginia Woolf

"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman."- Virginia Woolf




"Excerpt from a "Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf", as read and "Blabberized" by Nicole Muchowicz

Why Virginia Woolf?
As a reader, writer, learner, teacher, woman, and human, Virginia Woolf is among the greatest influences on my mental life.  However, this notion may not be so for everyone.  Some people say they don't "get" Virginia Woolf's writing, and some people say they are bored.  As a literature teacher, I want to share with my students the resource of enlightenment that Woolf can be and is for me.  Students can learn that her voice, use of stream of consciousness, manipulation of time, and perspectives to be very valuable and timeless.  She uses her voice as an intellectual and female powerfully and courageously. Her use of fluid syntax while contextually mirroring the process of thought would be a great opportunity of exploration in thinking about thinking while reading and evidence of thinking about thinking while writing. This could lead students into an adventure into using their own metacognition. Virginia Woolf was a revolutionary. Her words were evidence of human emotion and experience being painfully shared and vulnerable, all the while charging at her intended audience, whether it be "the establishment" or a room full of 9th grade English Students. It would be my pleasure to teach any Woolf work to my future students, especially, "A Room of One's Own" or "To the Lighthouse".  As an experiment for future lesson plans, I decided to use Virginia Woolf as the subject and object for my Blabberize project.

Virginia Woolf and Blabberize in a Lesson Plan
I'm sure Virginia Woolf would be thoroughly amused by the notion of her visage being manipulated and broadcast over the internet with the sound of my 21st century voice reading one of her masterworks. However, I found that Blabberize could specifically be a useful tool in my future English Literature classrooms, as well as, well, any classroom.

This lesson plan would be placed after the lesson on Virginia Woolf's background, history, and residence within the area of literature.  This lesson plan would follow, and it would be the introduction to the text itself.  For my specific lesson plan on the introduction to the book, "A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf, I would use the Blabberized image as an anticipatory set. Hopefully, the absurdity of a Blabberized face of Virginia Woolf and an unrealistic mouth accompanied by my voice reading the beginning of Chapter One of the text, as well as, the use of technology with an older text would be a hook of intrigue for my students. I would also want it to function as an example of the way tone, pace, intonation, and ideas are relayed within the text, so the students may not be intimidated when they re-read the passage on their own.  They would also be able to compare the way I interpreted the reading and how they differ in their own interpretations, which I would want to encourage.

Following the anticipatory set of Virginia Woolf "Blabberized", I would have the students re-read the beginning of Chapter One of "A Room of One's Own" (the Blabberized excerpt was taken from this chapter) as individual practice.  Following individual practice, I would instruct the students to join the whole class in a dialogue about how they would have read the passage differently.  Which words would you emphasize? Did you agree on the way the passage was read? What do you think this book is about? What did she just say?

For homework, I would assign the students to read the full Chapter One of "A Room of One's Own" and site their new understanding and synthesis of the chapter based upon their own reading and re-reading, the discussion with the class, and my "Blabberize"example. Following the end of the unit of "A Room of One's Own", the students could then make their own "Blabberized" version of any part of the text in which they would like to provoke dialogue or questions. This could be a model for future lessons regarding other difficult texts to approach, as well.

My Experience with Blabberize
The second I entered  the site, Blabberize, I laughed. I was greeted by a Llama with an over-the-top voice telling me to sign up for Blabberize and have "my mind blown".  I thought, this is silly.  However, once I added passion to practice and realized that I could do something literature based with one of my favorite authors, I was ready to create a password and username. However, I was hesitant to use the site because it seemed complicated concerning multimedia interaction, recordings, etc. and I am not completely fluent in all things technology. Needless to say, I was excited and intimidated.

There was no need for the intimidation.  The site was very easy to navigate and it was free. I soon realized that this could potentially be a great classroom tool for myself and students. I had fun picking out images of Virginia Woolf that I found captured the tone of the book I wanted to teach for my lesson. Recording my voice was a piece of cake, even though, there were many re-recordings because I wanted to get the reading "just right".  I realized, I could be on this site for a long time, reading and re-reading to the face of a great author. I am proud of my final product (even though I could probably re-read once again for better emphasis) but I mastered the site and found a successful way to incorporate technology into the literature classroom, and the recording did sound slightly vintage (which was an added effect). I was pleased with my experience and am excited to use it again for the classroom or even as a lift-me-up e-mail.


Resources
Woolf, Virginia. "A Room of One's Own". 1929. Harcourt, Inc