Educating Educators about Technology and this Internet Thing

I know that teachers have a difficult job and I really do try and keep that in mind before criticizing or complaining.  But, I've had my parent and librarian buttons pushed by the apparent techno-ignorance or -phobia of one of Raccoon, Jr's instructors.  And, not to single this teacher out, it's an attitude I've encounted a disheartening number of times throughout my kids' schooling.

Juniorette is working on her 8th grade career project and I helped her narrow it down to game development--story development and scriptwriting in particular.  The purpose of the assignment, aside from career exploration, is to learn research skills.  The kids have to use different types of sources:  a book, an encyclopedia, an interview, etc.   As you can imagine, there are not heaps of super-current print resources on game development--a 1998 book on computer programming is the best book we could find in our library.  That's a book that probably should have been weeded, oh, about 4 years ago.  The other standard kid-career-report source, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, while a bit more current, doesn't have anything specific on game development.  Juniorette did find a surprisingly detailed article in Occupational Outlook Quarterly on writing for games! 

The best and most current information about careers in game development is available is "on the internet."   I helped Juniorette find some awesome resources, including a white paper on writing for games from the International Game Developers Association.  She's really buzzed about learning more. I've had numerous students over the years who have come into the library to work on research papers, and balk when I show them one of the subscription databases, chock full o' authoritative, paid-for, full-text sources.  "My teacher says I can only use one internet source," they tell me.  I explain that even though it's delivered through the internet, it's just a different presentation of a print source they'd not have access to otherwise.  Instead of photocopying the title page of the book, all the bibliographic information is delivered with the text.  Generally the students get it, but have had the law laid down by the teacher and settle for something on the shelf that might not be as good as something from a database. 

I'm glad to know that teachers are still insisting on making students look for information in a variety of formats--it's important for kids to know how to do something besides google some other kid's crappy report, not knowing how to figure out that it's some other kid's crappy report.  What I'm not sure about is if the teachers who insist on this "only one internet source" rule are simply inflexible or if they don't know the difference between some kid's crappy report and an authoritative source that just happens to be in digital format.  Instead of a small selection of  overused print sources, the databases give students access to a much wider variety of sources--literally thousands of full-text journal and magazine titles. Teachers who think this way have something akin to info-tech hiccups, which sticks them in a very non-functional, non-productive mode. Please, someone get them a glass of water! And make it a big one.

The other gripe I have is also related to this project. Juniorette has some problems with executive function and focus--that means her organizational skills are not so hot.  Assignments get forgotten at home or lost, or she doesn't quite get what she's supposed to do.  As a result, she's got some minor accommodations, like extra time to hand in assignments. Today, she was supposed to have turned in one piece of this career assignment. It was completed, but I found it under a pile of books after I'd taken her to school.  On the school's contact page is a fax number, prominently displayed, so I decided to fax the one-page assignment, thinking that was an efficient use of technology. I emailed the teacher to let her know what was going on.  This is her first response:

We do not have access to a fax. The picture is worth 20 points today. After today, it is worth 10 points. I need it today for full credit. If you choose to drop it off, just leave it with a secretary and be certain it has my name on it.

First off, she's ignoring the fact that my daughter has a 504 plan, a legal accommodation document that says she can hand stuff in a few days late without penalty. But, that's a separate issue.  What bothers me is the teacher's statement that faculty does not have access to the fax machine. I thought it seemed like a very efficient way of accommodating a student who occassionally needs and is entitled to extra help.  So, I wrote to say that I would drop off the original copy, but that she might get two copies since I had faxed one.  Here is reply # 2:

As I indicated, we don't have access to a fax. That is for office use only. Therefore, I doubt I shall get two copies.

Ignoring the unneccesary snarkiness, and going back to my previous point, why wouldn't staff be allowed to receive faxes from parents?  I imagine that the school gets reams of junk fax every day.  Are the teachers truly forbidden from using the fax machine (given teacher the benefit of the doubt)?  Or does she just not want to bother. Regardless of the answer, it's another example of technology veiwed as something special or exclusive--a stand-alone entity, rather than as an ubiquitous tool to faciliate work and play and communication.  I don't begrudge this teacher her personal Luddite leanings, but I'd appreciate if she kept them out of my daughter's education.

On the other end of the spectrum are those teachers who, like many students, lack basic information literacy and will tell their students to "look on google."  That's another post.

I'd like to acknowledge the many other teachers who "get IT,"  who don't regard it with the same fear as a caveman witnessing an eclipse, or see it as the holy grail of education.  There are also those who dream big and make invaluable contributions to the seamless blending of education and technology, but it's the informed followers who are a godsend to students and parents.

Comments

[comcomCootercom.com]

Was at work today, hovering around the Ref. Desk, and a woman was explaining to the librarian that she could only have one internet source. After the librarian explained that she was given a magazine article printed from our database, and the patron still not getting it, I recalled this post and butted in. It really helped me explain to her the differences between an "internet" source and a journal article in a digital format. Not that I wouldn't have been able to explain this otherwise. It was just nice to have the words already in my head and therefore I was able to avoid thinking. Thanks Raccoon!

[Beth]

Now I'm feeling bad about teacher bashing (and I am one, so normally I am more sensitive! apologies) Glad to learn about an alternative possible reading for the "I told you we don't use the fax!" note.

[rochelle]

In response to anon about the fax issue: I am quick to give teachers the benefit of the doubt and try not to engage in teacher-bashing. It's a job I'd not be capable of doing and I admire those who take it on, take it seriously and do a great job. This is an instructor, however, who is chronically inflexible and, according to a confidential source, is more than ready to retire. I'd probably feel more grace toward her if she hadn't set herself apart from myself and the other teachers at Jrette's 504 meeting, positioning herself behind me so that I had to continually turn around to address her. She did nothing to hide her annoyance and has taken a petulant tone with me since day one. She's the sort of teacher who has no pet. We've all had her.

I feel bad for her, like I feel bad for librarians who entered the profession for different reasons 2o or 30 years ago, when the jobs they signed on for, bear little resemblance to the jobs they do today. Economic reality has, no doubt, forced this woman to hang on til the end so that she can get her full pension. I can respect that, but damn! does she have to be so cold and contrary?

I'll also point out again that she is the one bad apple in a terrific bunch. I've even gotten past my annoyance with the teacher who can't spell or punctuate because at least she's engaged and seems to give a damn about her job.

I didn't mean to slag all teachers. It's an awesome responsiblity they have, and I don't envy them with all the bureaucratic crap and state-mandated test-teaching, DARE, etc. etc.

Appreciate your input and links that you provided. Thanks!

[fiddledd]

Oh, and another thing: you have fortuitously chosen a topic that provides a perfect example of how online sources relating to current events provide information that is unlikely to be found in standard reference works available in libraries:

The seminal source:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/ea_spouse/

Early coverage:
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/11/0031259&tid=98

The plot thickens:
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/12/0537234&tid=123&tid=156&tid=10

The story spreads:
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/12/02/no_fun_and_games/
(subscription, or watch a commercial)

etc:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=%22Electronic+Arts%22+lawsuit&btnG=Search+News

The point is that the printed sources that are likely to turn up in libraries are subject to economic forces that tend to influence them to "soften up" the pictures they paint. Will they be willing to say things like:

-- This industry is increasingly dominated by a few large players; should working conditions be poor, workers have few choices among employers.
-- Workers in this industry who reside in developed nations will increasingly face competition from workers in less developed nations such as India, Russia and the Ukraine.

By restricting the student's use of Internet sources, the teacher deprives the student of the opportunity of discovering important qualitative differences between print and online sources.

Also, even though this is not a "current events" assignment, the teacher deprives the student of an opportunity of discovering how research on _any_ topic can lead to discoveries in news sources that will have important bearing on research and decision making. That discovery itself would be exciting, and might have the _lifelong_ effect of making the student more aware of the value of research and more invested in taking advantage of it.

As far as the fax issue goes, it sounds to me like the teacher is obliquely asking for your support. When she says "we [teachers] don't have access to the fax ... that is for office use only" it sounds like she wants _you_ to turn around and ask the _principal_ "why don't teachers have access to fax machine? This cost _me_ an extra trip ..."

Don't forget, teachers are in the middle; they get it from the administration as well as parents (and journalists, politicians, etc.). She may feel that this situation is as silly as you do, but also that she cannot fight it herself.

[Beth]

I have known some teachers (university teachers) who truly don't know the difference. Shameful.

Then there are teachers that give weird-seeming assignments as an exercise . . . my library friends are always after me b/c I make my research methods students search in different ways throughout the semester (won't bore you w/the reasons), so one week they are looking at books in the ref section, another week browsing shelves somewhere, another week checking subscription dbases, another week the library catalog, etc. I have to find the librarians ahead of time and warn them that I have a reason for assigning the "books only" task, or they make little comments about "teachers who don't know ref materials are online." At least, that's what my students tell me, those same students who would not think to explain that I am getting them to look other places, just in different weeks. :)

BUT the teacher you describe sounds just stupid. Teachers should be able to tell the difference between a print resource obtained online via subscription database and a "guy on a hobby horse" website. And there is no need to be rude about the fax.

I don't know why some people have such attitudes, but have heard that it can be worse when parents have an education-related job. My mom (an elem school teacher) used to fume at the way some of my teachers treated her. I'm hoping I don't run into the same sort of thing when my girls are older.

[shoe]

I feel your pain, in many ways. I am sorry about Juniorette's teacher, who sounds like a real drip... Why does it seem that you find one or two great teachers in a school career, and then ten or twelve drips?

I sort of blushed about the game development book's age... I have... er, more than a few in my collection that should be purged like this, that aren't. Plain and simple, good updated copies of some particular subjects are hard to find (don't know if that's the case here though).

No, you found me out. I just hate throwing stuff away. ;)