Using Technology in Biology: Reflections

I wanted to post the final presentations for the class.  We recorded them at ustream.tv.

(FYI: If you’re particularly interested in my section, you can fast-forward to 1:09.  My section runs until about 1:27. )

Thanks to Alice, Cathy and the other members of the class!  I was thinking the other night, “What kind of teacher would I be if I had gone to teach somewhere else?”  I have to think I would be completely different.  I consider it to be a great boon that I get to teach in a collaborative environment and in a 1:1 school.   But, neither would be as successful without the other!  When I think about how much I have been learning since the beginning of the year and how that is manifested in the student experiences in my class, it boggles my mind to think that some teachers do the exact same thing year after year.

Tags: collaboration, ustream.tv

I find that as a second year teacher, collaboration is much more fruitful for me this year. I do find that it takes significant time. I feel fortunate to be on the Freshman Team, with time allocated specifically for collaboration. While this has higher points and lower points, I have found this year that I have been contributing more to the collaboration both in my discipline and across the team. It’s very satisfying to contribute ideas, try them out in both of our classrooms and feel some success.

For Biology, my colleague and I have to carve out that time on our own. We have made a consistent effort to do that this year, and I can see benefits in my classroom as well as to the course. We collaborate on assignments, assessments, tools and other curricular matters primarily. Again, the small successes make that time feel worthwhile.

I know that there are a lot of avenues out there for collaboration beyond my building. However, I find that time is against me on that front. I do bounce things off of my college friend who also teaches biology in another state. But, I have not found a simple way to collaborate online. I think this is because I find fruitful collaboration includes some kind of personal connection. While I am a Digital native in many respects, I find myself clinging to the Digital immigrant cultures of face to face connections based on personal connections to be most effective to me. Perhaps I just need to carve out that time in the way I have for building collaboration. What’s to give?

One idea for additional collaboration: Using more blogs such as those linked to by Oakes in the article. From Toby Fischer’s blog, I found many links about using wikis in classrooms.

My second idea is to ask my friend to share his bookmarks with me. I love Del.icio.us for this (as you can tell by my previous post).

Tags: collaboration, delicious