You're Wired Just Perfectly

I have two kids that mean the world to me.  I dote on them, love them to a point of distraction, smother them in hugs, and regale them with words of wisdom about all aspects of life (at least that's the aim). As my career revolves heavily around appropriate use of the Internet, this topic comes up rather frequently as I promote liberal, responsible use of technology in my home.  Of course, I have them safely filtered and under parental controls- and they are fabulous children- but occasionally they slip on the rules.  I caught one child creatively playing with WordArt. The WordArt itself was enchanting to look at on first glance- vibrant colors, twisty contour- and it was all with the word "underpants."

I sighed, the child looked at me abashedly, and I went through some of my standard lines. "Is that something you would want your Grandmother to see?  Is that something that would make your teacher proud? How do you feel about yourself now that I saw it?"  We discussed, deleted the "underpants," and resolved to make better decisions.

The thing is, I was ok with this- all of it.  My kids are curious, boundary-testing, typical students- just like your students.  We adults can tell, model, preach, and even DEMAND rule-following, but the way they grow and learn is through trial and error.  I would much prefer my own children err in a safe, monitored environment than out in the wide world of Internet-ness.

This is exactly why I adore My Big Campus.  MBC provides an environment in which students can navigate through a social-learning platform under an umbrella of safety (check out more here).  With safety features such as 24/7 monitoring, profanity interception, user -report abuse buttons, flesh-tone scanning, and suspicious activity reporting, My Big Campus is indescribably secure.

Nevertheless, it is understandable when teachers have questions about monitoring a site that is available to students 24/7.  Fear not! Whether you unplug at 3:30 when the kids leave or have your smart phone as another appendage, My Big Campus is for you!  Here is how this works if you are:

Unplugged   It is perfectly acceptable to unplug! It is absolutely ok to tell your students that after you leave school, play taxi-service to your own children, make dinner, and settle into your home, you will probably not be on-line checking assignments or messages.  No worries! With the features My Big Campus already has in place, Discussions are already monitored, Bob Campus is around for any Q/A, and those assignments will be waiting in the cloud when you are ready!

Semi-plugged    It is also super if you know you will have some dedicated time to check back in on your classes at some point after class is out.  Let them know that any questions they have before 8 PM will be answered before you go to bed- anything else will be handled in class or in the morning.  You could also dedicate a chat-time to hang out on-line and be available for them in Group Chat. No need to use up the whole evening on the computer, but if you are more comfortable jumping on-line a few times at night, we have the tools for you!

Fully-plugged  If you are wired like me, chances are you are rarely without some sort of device to be on-line. I let students know that before I went to bed, most questions would be answered almost immediately if they messaged me (then I changed my notifications to send me a text of their messages). This worked for me as I am rarely without my phone. Any messages after bedtime, I simply addressed in class.  I was both refreshed and rejuvenated to find my students participating and inquiring at all hours outside of our regular meeting times. We really had created an active extension of our classroom!

image retrieved from: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3061/3077035953_2aa573c111_o.jpg

 Regardless of how you are wired, you are wired just perfectly for My Big Campus!

It's All About Who You Know

The other day, as I was cruising around one of the winding country curves near my house, a man came running up the street at me flailing his arms and screaming for me to slow down. I slammed on the brakes and tried to size up the situation.  I mean, any man willing to play a game of chicken with a car had to be a little crazy.  Before he had a chance to even say a word, I saw the issue, which was also headed straight toward me.  It seems this man's pig had decided to take a leisurely stroll right down the middle of this two-lane road. To fully understand the situation, let me divulge a few details:

1- There are no shoulders on country roads. Most often there are ditches or trees that reach out onto the road.

2- I am referring to a pig that is a country pig. I mean, 700 pounds of bacon slowly ambling up the road.

3- There's no way either one of us (me or the pig) are getting by each other.

To add to the chaos, there was another man trying to coax this creature into submission. He was begging, holding up food, and even using his full body-weight to try to push the swine toward the edge of the road and presumably home. It was like watching a cartoon-or watching a ground hog try to derail an NFL tackle. Not happening. The pig could not have cared less- and wasn't breaking his lethargic stride.

I just sat there in the car for a bit. This was not the first time (nor would it be the last) I was running late due to animal-intervention. I have been held hostage on a dirt road by a flock of turkeys that was running in circles. My cars have been accosted by deer too many times to count. I have sat patiently while a line of alpaca decided to s-l-o-w-l-y cross the road in front of me. I even followed behind a cow for miles once because it simply would not get out of my lane (I was in a no-passing zone...it just felt wrong).  Such is life in rural Virginia- there are some huge upsides to country living, but there are some unpredictable deterrents.

Teaching in rural Virginia also presented some unique opportunities, but also obstacles.  One of my biggest frustrations was feeling isolated professionally. Often I was the only teacher in the district that taught the classes I taught. I had no one to share ideas with and generate plans. I didn't know where to go for collaboration and often felt stuck with the ideas in my head.  I could go to conferences and pick up ideas, but then would stagnate. I was truly stuck to my own devices once I headed home, which presented a very real problem when I wanted to try to flip my classroom or teach the on-line Senior Project course. I realized, too, that my students were victims of operating in my cutoff classroom.  I knew there were other classes and educators out there that must feel the same as me, but I struggled to find them. Enter My Big Campus...

Connecting with other educators was effortless with all of the site features on My Big Campus that foster collaboration, building relationships, and linking people together.

My first stop was EduTalk:

EduTalk is a news feed (that can also be integrated with Twitter) specifically for educators. Reading the current trends and finding educators that share my interests and passions was simple through keyword searches and hashtags.  I can go on the general feed to make new connections and see the latest trends there. I even created my own personal feed to streamline the people I interact with most.

Speaking of personalizing my learning, I also started Following people:

By following others, their posts and insights showed up on my Activity Feed.  I could keep current with their on-line happenings and use them to generate ideas of my own.  I could also Message them to collaborate or create a think-tank. I have met incredible educators with innovative ideas and strategies through these connections.

Looking for more ways to connect? Try the Library:

                

In the Library, once you find quality resources posted by other educators, you can see who added the items as well as their other contributions.  I made dozens of connections exchanging resources with other teachers who shared my preps and interests.  My Big Campus made it easy to put me in touch with classroom leaders I had so much in common with- but would never have found otherwise!  Finally, I was truly collaborating and exchanging ideas!

Next, I discovered Topics:

Topics are global spaces for any non-student users to view/post resources, start/join discussions, meet other educators with the same interests, and expand their professional networks. Search around the Topic repository and you will surely find some relevant to you and your interests! Whether you are seeking subject-matter expertise, want to read up on 1:1 initiatives, crave some iPad collaboration, or even just need cool bulletin board ideas, we have Topics for you!

Speaking of...check out this Topic made just for educators seeking connections:

Campus to Campus

Go ahead and click and join! This new Topic is already populated with educators itching to reach out and connect with you!  Whether you want to video chat with a classroom in another region, pair students up with e-pals, or get creative in lesson-design by collaborating with other campuses, this is a one-stop shop made just for MBC users!

So, having alleviated many of my rural-teaching woes, I am still stuck with a few chagrins of country life. The pig eventually took a detour off the main road (maybe due to its owner's pleas, but I think mostly it just got bored with the terrain) and I eventually got home.  Sometimes I struggle with what to make for dinner, but it was an easy choice that night- and those pork chops were delicious!

Let's Discuss That

I'm a talker. I always have been.  I have never been accused of being shy, withdrawn, or introverted. I am going to date myself here, but as a child, my parents would good-naturedly start humming the Jabberjaw theme song to gently remind me to zip-it for a few minutes. It worked. For a few minutes. Then I was at it again yapping to a parent, sibling, friend, dog, stuffed animal, wall...I'm not picky.

Jabberjaw Theme Song

image from: http://thesweetestplum.com.au/2013/02/03/63-the-denial-of-self/

There are some up-sides to being chatty.  I meet people easily, can carry a conversation with just about anyone, and am generally viewed as friendly and approachable. 

There are some huge disadvantages that I recognize as well.  I can wait-to-talk instead of listening, dominate a conversation, or generally not allow the precious silence some people prefer.  When I ask people if I can reach out for a "quick call," sometimes (even thousands of miles away) I swear I hear their eyes roll. 

As a teacher, I adored the extroverts in class.  I often found the loquacious students amusing, fun, and interesting.  Often, but not always.  During class discussions, despite all my efforts with timers, signals, pre-determined orders, and a last-ditch failed talking-stick-fiasco, the unreserved conversationalists would battle it out for air-time and the less verbose students would shrink into their chairs.  It was a real problem- until I found the perfect solution!

Using Discussions on My Big Campus leveled the playing field for my students.  It didn't matter how reserved or wide-open my young scholars were.  Each had an equal voice when we moved the discussions on-line. No one had to cut short what she/he wanted to say due to time allowances, taking turns, or being interrupted.  Sometimes the most astute postings were from students that simply had a fear of speaking aloud.  Furthermore, students could read and re-read each others' contributions.  They could formulate more complex ideas rather than just having to respond right in the moment. Students could respond to each other asynchronously and revisit threads they wanted to contribute more to.

In verbal discussions, there was a momentum that drove the conversation down a very linear path. With on-line conversations, the threads and expansions created a rich web in which ideas were thoroughly developed, debated, and extended.  We could all go back and read everyone's contributions, then thoughtfully respond.

I appreciated that on-line discussions could be continued indefinitely.  Sometimes an idea from a current theme sparked a prior-knowledge chord in students.  Reading their new comments on previous Discussions let me know they were making connections, retrieving antecedents to the present lesson, and truly developing instead of just having static thoughts.

The main draw to Discussions is that students like it! In fact, I would occasionally ask if they would prefer a face-to-face or on-line discussion about a topic and (without fail) the consensus was to have the discussion on-line. These digital natives enjoy the format as well as the affirmation through comments and "hearts" that their opinions matter and even evoke further commentary from their peers.

Whether your students are chatterboxes (like me!) or a bit more reticent, My Big Campus Discussions offer a positive venue for your classes. Give it a whirl- here's how to get started: http://j.mp/103BmiP .

The internet could be a very positive step towards education, organization and participation in a meaningful society. ~Noam Chomsky

Well said, sir. Now let's discuss that!