For further thought, regarding Hunger Games:
I just read this blog post on Jezebel...
http://jezebel.com/at-real-life-hunger-games-camp-children-intend-to-fig-1048895777
It seems that there's a school-based summer camp patterned on Hunger Games, and the children attending LITERALLY believed they were to kill each other. And they were willing.
I'm scared.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Hunger Games, Blood Sport, and Technology
My, my, I have been a poor correspondent.
Well, to *be* a correspondent, one must have someone with whom to correspond, eh?
Anyhow, I have been giving a lot of thought of late to the trilogy of books that begins with The Hunger Games, and how that post-apocalyptic world is really quite frightening. The Games are computer-designed and managed by people who crave blood sport, but who are too removed both emotionally and physically to be really affected by the outcome. This, to me, is the ultimate end of technology, if it remains unchecked and untempered by humane behavior. We see too often young people who are psychologically and physiologically affected by too much computer gaming, who are callous in their disregard for each other by texting, online "chat," and other forms of social media, and the result is a desensitized generation(s) of disconnected individuals who have little real interaction with other people, and who have learned disembodied violence from a very young age, and consider it "relaxing" and fun.
The Romans had the Colosseum, and today's world has...cyberspace. I don't think that the "odds will ever be in [our] favor."
My, my, I have been a poor correspondent.
Well, to *be* a correspondent, one must have someone with whom to correspond, eh?
Anyhow, I have been giving a lot of thought of late to the trilogy of books that begins with The Hunger Games, and how that post-apocalyptic world is really quite frightening. The Games are computer-designed and managed by people who crave blood sport, but who are too removed both emotionally and physically to be really affected by the outcome. This, to me, is the ultimate end of technology, if it remains unchecked and untempered by humane behavior. We see too often young people who are psychologically and physiologically affected by too much computer gaming, who are callous in their disregard for each other by texting, online "chat," and other forms of social media, and the result is a desensitized generation(s) of disconnected individuals who have little real interaction with other people, and who have learned disembodied violence from a very young age, and consider it "relaxing" and fun.
The Romans had the Colosseum, and today's world has...cyberspace. I don't think that the "odds will ever be in [our] favor."
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The printed page and personal contact
Sorry I haven't been in touch, but I've been inhabiting the world of the printed page, poetry, poets, and people. I mean, people in the flesh. Human contact. Something, we who were at the conference all determined, don't tend to have enough of, at least not chosen, intentional contact, in this cyber-isolationism we've imposed upon ourselves. Yeah, the kids would hashtag that as "first world problems." And I tend to agree, although there are developing nations that have little clean water, but yet have Internet. Go figure.
One thing that struck me this week while I was attending and reading at a poetry gathering, was the oddity of the few people who took the podium in Robert Frost's rustic barn in Franconia, NH, surrounded by trees, mosquitoes, and rapt faces...who opened up their laptops to read. It felt and looked really incongruous, and I was not the only one struck by the weirdness of it. It felt as if the page--as in, paper--should be celebrated, there in the historic setting. And there was the fact that the faces of the readers were oddly lit, the light source coming from under the chin, from the computer screen. The strangest thing, one that seemed not only out of place, but hard to work around as an audience member, was the barrier between reader/speaker and the listeners caused by the upraised screen. It just felt wrong. And this reminded me of the many, many times I have looked out at my own classroom, and found that eye contact was almost impossible to maintain, as all the eyes were down-turned, focused on the screen and whatever task or distraction was being displayed.
Something to ponder, I think. Human beings need human contact, and we must be very aware of the boundaries we erect while trying to make connections.
One thing that struck me this week while I was attending and reading at a poetry gathering, was the oddity of the few people who took the podium in Robert Frost's rustic barn in Franconia, NH, surrounded by trees, mosquitoes, and rapt faces...who opened up their laptops to read. It felt and looked really incongruous, and I was not the only one struck by the weirdness of it. It felt as if the page--as in, paper--should be celebrated, there in the historic setting. And there was the fact that the faces of the readers were oddly lit, the light source coming from under the chin, from the computer screen. The strangest thing, one that seemed not only out of place, but hard to work around as an audience member, was the barrier between reader/speaker and the listeners caused by the upraised screen. It just felt wrong. And this reminded me of the many, many times I have looked out at my own classroom, and found that eye contact was almost impossible to maintain, as all the eyes were down-turned, focused on the screen and whatever task or distraction was being displayed.
Something to ponder, I think. Human beings need human contact, and we must be very aware of the boundaries we erect while trying to make connections.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Two days at poetry camp, and my head is already swimming. Not only is it the company of so many colleagues who are doing the same (right) thing in so many schools, but it's also the buzz of ideas. New this year is the ongoing under thread of the Common Core, and how what we are doing supports the standards. Also, the implementation of technology in the practice and teaching of poetry has come up many times. We are all mostly in agreement; one woman, a tech integration specialist and English teacher from North Carolina said it best: "if the technology is not transformative, don't use it." In other words, if it's fun, and catchy, and an interesting gimmick, it's not enough to sell her on using it in the classroom. And her school is a private one that is tech based, with most of their students going to what she calls the "...IT schools," as in MIT. Also, there are apparently many working poets who love to skype; this could be awesome for so many schools that don't have the budget to bring a person to their schools physically. I will be getting a list sometime soon, and when I do, I will share info. Podcasts are something a lot of teachers have tried, and with varied interest on the part of their students. My final project for class focuses on the use of podcasts and skype; I was really glad to hear others talk about their uses and experiences with these two forms of tech, as I was just "pie in the sky-ing" when I chose to embed those two things in my project. In short, it appears it might just work. (phew)
I'm still at "camp" until Friday, and I would posit I will be even more awash in new ideas by then. I'll check in.
Poetechnologically yours...
I'm still at "camp" until Friday, and I would posit I will be even more awash in new ideas by then. I'll check in.
Poetechnologically yours...
Friday, June 21, 2013
“Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.”
― Arthur C. Clarke
I'm mentally trying to transition gracefully from my technologically dominated world (and I do mean dominated, and some, if not all of it, is by choice) to a more introspective, slower-paced measuring of time. That is to say, summer. I need to stop checking my Facebook, my phone, my emails, my Words With Friends, my clocks...in short, all of the things that dictate the who, what, where, when, and why of my daily existence. To this end, and to preserve my sanity, I will be going to the Frost Place in Franconia, NH for a total immersion week that is functionally titled the Conference on Poetry and Teaching, with an extra day and a half workshop called Teachers as Writers. Titles aside, I will be going to Poetry Summer Camp. And I am glad, glad, glad. Six glorious days of sitting in Frost's barn, listening to words, to people, forging bonds across time and space with people I don't see but maybe once a year, or once in a lifetime. I will be relatively unplugged, yet totally plugged in. There is something both energizing and comforting about trekking uphill on a dirt road to the Frost Place, greeting the day with coffee, conversation, and collegiality, and knowing that, at least for a short time, I will be with my "tribe," focusing on the ways that words connect people. As connected we are by our electronic devices, we are never more divided at the same time. We need to hear each other pause and think, to speak with intention and affection, to question and puzzle out ideas and nuances. In short, we need to slow down. And dwell with words. And be present to each other. This is wisdom-making, and we need it more than ever.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
When the lights go down in the city...a thought or two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvE0G4a994E (Journey...yah, just listen and enjoy...)
I submitted my final project for class today. One might think that it would be cause for celebration, or relief, or what have you, but instead, I find myself really thinking about where and when tech fits into my general schema. I have grown so accustomed to more than half expecting all things tech to fail at any given moment, I'm still not sure I want to trust or rely on embedded tech elements. Yet, when these things work, they add a lot to what we are already doing. The world we live in requires a more than passing acquaintance with all things digital, and I am no neophyte myself. However, I still maintain that elementary skills are paramount; no amount of technology will help one bit if the student/user brings an empty rucksack to the camp out. I see tech as being of a supporting role; if my lesson requires tech to work properly, though, I might be in trouble. The core of any lesson must be simple and solid, and if it's not, no amount of fancy stuff will help it out one bit. I worry a little about the younger teachers, or pre-service teachers, who depend so much on technology. I am not convinced they are creative enough in their teaching, or solid enough in their own basic skills, that they can continue on when the lights go out...whether that is literal or figurative, it makes no difference. Both happen, and we need to be prepared. If Socrates could teach without props, leading the young men of Athens in logic and rhetoric under a tree in the middle of town, we should be able to do at least the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvE0G4a994E (Journey...yah, just listen and enjoy...)
I submitted my final project for class today. One might think that it would be cause for celebration, or relief, or what have you, but instead, I find myself really thinking about where and when tech fits into my general schema. I have grown so accustomed to more than half expecting all things tech to fail at any given moment, I'm still not sure I want to trust or rely on embedded tech elements. Yet, when these things work, they add a lot to what we are already doing. The world we live in requires a more than passing acquaintance with all things digital, and I am no neophyte myself. However, I still maintain that elementary skills are paramount; no amount of technology will help one bit if the student/user brings an empty rucksack to the camp out. I see tech as being of a supporting role; if my lesson requires tech to work properly, though, I might be in trouble. The core of any lesson must be simple and solid, and if it's not, no amount of fancy stuff will help it out one bit. I worry a little about the younger teachers, or pre-service teachers, who depend so much on technology. I am not convinced they are creative enough in their teaching, or solid enough in their own basic skills, that they can continue on when the lights go out...whether that is literal or figurative, it makes no difference. Both happen, and we need to be prepared. If Socrates could teach without props, leading the young men of Athens in logic and rhetoric under a tree in the middle of town, we should be able to do at least the same.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Poetry Meets the Techno World and the Whole Damned Thing Gets Weirder
OK, it's probably me. Well, at least the Puritan, New England guilt that leeches from the granite and into my whole being is willing to accept the responsibility and required penance for trying to create a podcast of me reading and giving hints and suggestions for finding commonalities among the poems of John Keats, Wendell Berry, and myself. I am still trying to figure out if it was Keats' shade that objected most to his poem being read on a podcast, or if it's the punishment for the sin of hubris (OK, mixing Greek mythological retribution and Puritanism here, but it works in my head) of reading my own work into a microphone and hoping to post it out there in the aether. Actually, the Greek metaphor is working well here, as the downloaded converter (aptly called Lame) that I was supposed to use to transform my podcast file into an mp3 for uploading (and downloading) purposes carried a Trojan. Thank goodness my computer security caught it and blocked it (I have mental images of a burly kilted warrior with long mustaches blocking the computer...yes, I have McAfee).
For what it's worth, I was reading and asking the listeners to consider and find common elements among the three poems: Keats' "When I Have Fears," Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things," and a poem in progress of my own. This paired and compared poem exercise is not a new idea in my classes, but I thought it would be a useful project to transform the idea to a podcast (final project for class), and demonstrate to my students that a/ I am not a Luddite, and b/ poetry is an aural and oral art, and hearing it read makes a world of difference.
That all being said, my Prof is helping me figure this meshuggah mess out.
How's that for being multicultural? Puritans, Greeks, Yiddish, and TechnoSpeak. woot, me.
OK, it's probably me. Well, at least the Puritan, New England guilt that leeches from the granite and into my whole being is willing to accept the responsibility and required penance for trying to create a podcast of me reading and giving hints and suggestions for finding commonalities among the poems of John Keats, Wendell Berry, and myself. I am still trying to figure out if it was Keats' shade that objected most to his poem being read on a podcast, or if it's the punishment for the sin of hubris (OK, mixing Greek mythological retribution and Puritanism here, but it works in my head) of reading my own work into a microphone and hoping to post it out there in the aether. Actually, the Greek metaphor is working well here, as the downloaded converter (aptly called Lame) that I was supposed to use to transform my podcast file into an mp3 for uploading (and downloading) purposes carried a Trojan. Thank goodness my computer security caught it and blocked it (I have mental images of a burly kilted warrior with long mustaches blocking the computer...yes, I have McAfee).
For what it's worth, I was reading and asking the listeners to consider and find common elements among the three poems: Keats' "When I Have Fears," Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things," and a poem in progress of my own. This paired and compared poem exercise is not a new idea in my classes, but I thought it would be a useful project to transform the idea to a podcast (final project for class), and demonstrate to my students that a/ I am not a Luddite, and b/ poetry is an aural and oral art, and hearing it read makes a world of difference.
That all being said, my Prof is helping me figure this meshuggah mess out.
How's that for being multicultural? Puritans, Greeks, Yiddish, and TechnoSpeak. woot, me.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you're gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time
(David Bowie)
Change. It's the one constant in life, and, by extension, in the world of education. Some changes are extrinsic, others, the ones that are more permanent and quite probably more important, are intrinsic. Institutional change is ongoing, often creating some chaos and resulting in abandoned initiatives and disaffected teachers, students, and parents. Changes in educational policy have much the same results. The most powerful change is the change that comes from a deeper understanding of what one's role is as a teacher and co-learner in both the educational setting and the personal one as well. How does this relate to technology, students, and the expectations that are set by others outside the world of the classroom? As a co-learner and mentor in the classroom, one's role is to investigate all opportunities and vehicles for learning, embracing the ones that make sense and that can make a positive contribution to the learning process for everyone involved. Some aspects of technology are "gadgets" and the things that dress up a lesson or a finished product. Others are far more useful; some management tools do, in fact, make record keeping and reporting easier (when they work!), and some educational tools are quite helpful, and support the learning process in meaningful ways. It is our job to first inspect what it is we hope to achieve with the lessons we offer to our students, and then seek out a variety of ways to support the lessons and the learning expectations. Online resources such as Purdue OWL, Wikipedia, and other forms of locating and sifting for informational texts are beneficial, while other forms of technology can be a distraction (at worst), or a novelty to engage students' interests (at best). The teacher's role is to determine what the proper tools are to bring students to the place where their best learning can take place.
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you're gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time
(David Bowie)
Change. It's the one constant in life, and, by extension, in the world of education. Some changes are extrinsic, others, the ones that are more permanent and quite probably more important, are intrinsic. Institutional change is ongoing, often creating some chaos and resulting in abandoned initiatives and disaffected teachers, students, and parents. Changes in educational policy have much the same results. The most powerful change is the change that comes from a deeper understanding of what one's role is as a teacher and co-learner in both the educational setting and the personal one as well. How does this relate to technology, students, and the expectations that are set by others outside the world of the classroom? As a co-learner and mentor in the classroom, one's role is to investigate all opportunities and vehicles for learning, embracing the ones that make sense and that can make a positive contribution to the learning process for everyone involved. Some aspects of technology are "gadgets" and the things that dress up a lesson or a finished product. Others are far more useful; some management tools do, in fact, make record keeping and reporting easier (when they work!), and some educational tools are quite helpful, and support the learning process in meaningful ways. It is our job to first inspect what it is we hope to achieve with the lessons we offer to our students, and then seek out a variety of ways to support the lessons and the learning expectations. Online resources such as Purdue OWL, Wikipedia, and other forms of locating and sifting for informational texts are beneficial, while other forms of technology can be a distraction (at worst), or a novelty to engage students' interests (at best). The teacher's role is to determine what the proper tools are to bring students to the place where their best learning can take place.
Have I changed due to this short exploration of various forms of technology? I don't really think so, except that it has given me an opportunity to look at what I teach, what I want the students to learn, and consider a variety of tools and how they can best support what we are working on. Could I continue to teach with very little technology embedded? Sure I could. However, I can, and do, use technology as part of my teacher's "magic bag of tricks" to call upon to assist my students and myself. There are times and opportunities when the newest and brightest innovations bring what we are doing to a whole new level, and that is exciting and will bear good fruit. I hope, though, to never lose sight of what the true goals of education are: to read, to consider and think critically, to learn to communicate effectively, and to reflect on what one thinks. When, and if, technology can support those goals, then it's certainly a good choice to use whatever is available to us.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
If we allow our self-congratulatory adoration of technology to distract us from our own contact with each other, then somehow the original agenda has been lost.
Jaron Lanier
As I sit here, randomly checking and rechecking my emails and social media posts, I wonder just how connected we are with each other. I mean, yes, we have the means, but do we truly have the desire to do the real work of maintaining interpersonal relationships? Today, when friendships are formed digitally, bullying occurs in a faceless medium, and people hook up and break up without having to look each other in the eye, the human contact element seems to be suffering. One of the unintended and tragic casualties of our hyperconnectedness is a lack of true connection; the anonymity of the Internet, texting, and instant messaging makes human commitment fleeting, or deceptively intense, with little in between. Teenaged dramas are enacted hourly online. Family issues are aired openly in the social media. All of a sudden, private issues are now overtly public, and the audience is not the three best friends crowded into the girls' bathroom or around the coffee table. It is all of us. And I, for one, feel that this is both inappropriate and immensely sad.
Jaron Lanier
As I sit here, randomly checking and rechecking my emails and social media posts, I wonder just how connected we are with each other. I mean, yes, we have the means, but do we truly have the desire to do the real work of maintaining interpersonal relationships? Today, when friendships are formed digitally, bullying occurs in a faceless medium, and people hook up and break up without having to look each other in the eye, the human contact element seems to be suffering. One of the unintended and tragic casualties of our hyperconnectedness is a lack of true connection; the anonymity of the Internet, texting, and instant messaging makes human commitment fleeting, or deceptively intense, with little in between. Teenaged dramas are enacted hourly online. Family issues are aired openly in the social media. All of a sudden, private issues are now overtly public, and the audience is not the three best friends crowded into the girls' bathroom or around the coffee table. It is all of us. And I, for one, feel that this is both inappropriate and immensely sad.
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