Keeping it real with techie teaching





Isn’t technology wonderful! I love technology.

I have to add, I love technology when it works.

My students can grapple with technology or “techie” issues along side of me. We have online classes and what we call hybrid classes at Trinidad State Junior College. A hybrid class is one that is taught face-to-face in a traditional way with added access to an online environment. All of my students interact under class discussions within the online environment. For students who have been sick and missed a class, this benefit allows them to get the information and see the discussions. The class discussions are continued online which increases the students’ skills of writing.

Today students were a little unsure about the differences between a “mail” link and a “discussion” link. I have the advantage over them in that I was working beside NASA contractors when some of the first emails were delivered - probably not the first, but close. I’ve been using technology in education since 1986. So I don’t usually get confused about the online class “mail” which is class contained “email” and the class discussion which is a discussion thread. What we discovered today was that sometimes the system glitches and the student posting doesn’t get through. For this problem, I encourage students to first type out their response using Microsoft Word, save the file, then attach the file under the corresponding discussion topic. The online class system will shut down when the student is typing for longer than two minutes to write a response in the submission box. Don’t quote me though.

My goal is to encourage students to become more and more familiar with technology because as they go out into our 21st Century workforce, they will undoubtedly meet technology square on. Let’s face it, I don’t want students to wake up with nightmare sweats, or anything. My students are keeping me on my fingers as I respond to their discussion and assignment submissions. I am able to give students feedback with a few strokes of my fingers across my keyboard. I love it. I try to make it personable for the students, too, by allowing my personality to sink onto the screen as they read.

An example of technology in the work force is the use of computerized checkout lines that were installed recently at a local grocery store. How many really like this opportunity to checkout without a checker? (My son likes it!) I can see the convenience from the retailer’s point of view; but from my personal point of view, I love interacting with the checker. Another example of technology is in the automotive industry. If you’ve noticed that over the last several decades, car care has gone digital - well partly. We still need that creative mechanic. Now a customer can pull a car up for service and get a digital diagnostic and know what the repairs will cost prior to the work.

I’ve also worked for proposal departments in various companies. Most in-company memos, etc., are now sent via email. I worked for one employer that made me sign a statement about reviewing email throughout the day. I think that is so coooooool! We save trees by using e email communications! I love it!

Linking students to other websites with important information is huge, as far as I’m concerned. I have excerpts of the debates, political conventions and other student submissions from previous semesters to share with the speech class. Being able to share excerpts from news coverage that includes speeches is important to discuss with students of public speaking about delivery, posture, use of cue cards, etc. I was able to share my own CNN Ireport with students on a joke that Gov. Bill Richardson shared when he was in Alamosa.

I guess that you’d say that I’m movin’ on trying to add “techie” aspects to my teaching.