Tilting Thinking -Join the Technology Party

I've been working on Googledocs with my ELL's as part of NWP's Letters to the Next President project. These letters must be composed and collaborated on Googledocs. After the walk through and class playtime with Googledocs, my students thought they got the idea of sharing documents. I thought I got it too. We didn't. I realized we were relying on our previous frame of reference of what it means to write and share an email, send an attachment, craft a posting for a discussion board or blog, or even draft in a wiki. We needed to forget what we knew about writing with other technology tools.

I was stuck in "email attachment" mode for sharing documents. I didn't grasp the concept of one document is really one document until I sent the class one template thinking it would morph into mulitple single copies (reflective duh). Well each student renamed it and then I watched the storm of changes on the screen from the LCD projector. They were all renaming the same document instead of making their own versions. One person typed and then the next deleted. The actual demonstration of my misunderstanding made it click for me and my students. This was one document.(another reflective duh)

First, I learned not to skip steps in directions given from far more experienced Googledoc users. So much for trying to save time. Next, I needed to forget my prior experience and just go for a new ride. I was grasping for connections to understand how to collaborate on Googledocs so I didnt' get the point. My students just wanted to send emails so they sent new invites to collaborate with every draft they revised. I couldn't keep up.

Finally my students and I made the analogy that Googledocs is like a party. You invite others to your party and they come to your party and they leave the party but it continue to go on. We only invite someone once and they can always visit our party. If a colaborator (guest) is deleted, then the party is closed to them.

So far this is working. They like inviting others to their party and my inbox is under control.

Is Multitasking Muting Your Writer Inside?

I am in a struggle with my students over music. Yes, something as basic as music. I listen to NPR and stream community radio when I work on the computer. (Big sigh) I don't remember "music" being an issue with my Ell's before last spring. I have traced it to YouTube and other music outlets that play one song at a time so the listener is constantly clicking back in to hear a new selection. The video option is another distraction. They hear a song and peak back at the video. I don't even look at emailing or shopping going on. I finally put the kibosh on open use of music when it took one hour to type ten questions.

This is really about multitasking and how it makes us feel like we are being more productive because we are always moving. But is the work at hand getting done? There is a disconnect between daily dedicated writing and progress to move on to the next English class. So now my students and I are reflecting on learning and writing about how we personally prefer to learn. But what if your preferences aren't in your best interest? I prefer to drink coffee, listen to the news, stare out the window at my roses and be near a telephone when I write but does this help me produce my best writing?

Honestly, when I had to write entries for my national board certification, I turned off the radio, shut the door and the blinds, and read my writing again and again. Why did this help me even if I felt cut off from the world? I could hear my writing when I read it aloud.

So there is my reason for curbing music and distractions. Students need to read, whisper read, their writing to hear it's own rhythm and meaning. Theirs is the voice they should be listening to, at least most of the time.