Week 4 Peer Response Mary

Mary said

Telling the We story. 
In reading chapters 9-12 I was again reminded of situations that occurred in my schools last year. Since starting using the Google Apps education suite with teachers and students the chat feature became somewhat of a controversial issue. While teaches used it to communicate effectively with each other, the central office and colleagues in the other building, students also used the chat feature and often in not such effective ways. By the middle of March teachers were pressuring administrators and the tech department to turn off the students’ chat privileges. It was definitely an US and THEM discussion. Us teachers (forgive the grammar) can’t monitor and manage what the students are saying and doing in the chat window, THEY are using the chat to ignore instructions or maybe even to cheat (never verified). When I read the Telling the WE chapter this situation came back to my mind. After spending this year in a challenge-based program, and spending many hours collaborating with colleagues in the program I place a high value on the ability to “chat” with learners in my room and across the country. This chapter has encouraged me to find a way to tell the WE story to my colleagues and to try to help them re-evaluate their perception of the chat feature.

I said

It is so easy for adults to forget what it is like to be a student in elementary, middle or high school.  We need to remember and try to find a happy medium with our students and technology.  Just like we read in Chapter 12, it is about US and how we can work together.