Facebook Note: Time to show your colours

While many teachers choose not to share their online spaces with students (in Queensland, where I have just moved, teachers are now officially prohibited from communicating with enrolled students on any social networking site), I do have about a dozen senior students (from NSW) who have added me as a ‘friend’ on Facebook.

My personal policy has always been to only add students in my HSC (final year) class.  Since going on leave, I have accepted invites from some in year 11 too.

Over the last few days I’ve noticed in my news feed a few of my students becoming ‘fans’ of the group “Your Gay” or “Thats Gay” is a excellent response to ANY situation.

So tonight I posted this in my ‘Notes’ section, tagged the students in question, and waited…

I’ve noticed a few of my friends becoming a FAN of the group:
“Your Gay” or “Thats Gay” is a excellent response to ANY situation.

Really?

You REALLY think so?

I guess you must not know anyone who is gay then, or have thought very much about how this might make a gay person feel.

Or maybe you really believe that everyone has ACCEPTED that the word ‘gay’ can be used out of context. Because no-one REALLY thinks that you mean ‘gay’ when you say ‘gay’, right? Like, you’re not actually saying that something is homosexual!

Buuuut…last time I looked, there were plenty of people out there, gay and straight, begging people like you to stop using this word. Plenty of people who are HURT when you say it. Plenty of people who understand the origins of this word being used as an insult, ON PURPOSE, in a very directed way, to literally mean that GAY = BAD. Plenty of people who have suffered verbal and physical (sometimes violent) abuse at the hands of viscious (as well as oblivious) homophobes, just because they are gay.

But hey, it’s just a word, right?

Ah ha! I know – maybe you think you are a postmodernist, and you believe that words should be detached from their historical meanings so they can be used again in new and exciting ways. Ironic ways! Contradictory ways! In ways that are self-reflexive, and therefore actually subtly critical of social institutions at large! (Wow, that would make you pretty smart…but I just can’t help but think that Derrida and Foucalt had other things in mind when they encouraged people to challenge social norms.)

If you’re tagged in this note then you probably don’t think that “gay is just another word for happy” is a good reason to use the word ‘gay’ as an insult, because that whole argument just makes no sense whatsoever…and I’m not usually friends with idiots! No, chances are you don’t think that, anymore than you think anyone actually uses the word “faggot” in regular, non-woodsman-type life to describe a ‘bundle of sticks’.

MAYBE you’re actually a social activist, and you’re trying to reclaim the word ‘gay’ the way that black people reclaimed the word ‘nigger’, or the way the GLBT community reclaimed the word ‘queer’. But if you thought about THAT for longer than two seconds, you’d realise that no…using a word as an INSULT doesn’t count as reclaiming language. In fact it’s kinda the opposite. It’s more like how when people say ‘nigger’ as an INSULT they are being RACIST.
(Though perhaps you have never watched important historic speeches like Martain Luther King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, and really been shocked at what African-Americans had to endure at the hands of the law, let alone at the hands of racists citizens, back in those days. Like, did you know that black people couldn’t vote! That they were made to ride on the back of buses! Kinda like how women couldn’t vote at the turn of the last century – or how they weren’t allowed to buy property, open bank accounts, or divorce their husbands! Or like how gay people are not allowed to get married, or adopt children as a couple, or work for schools owned by the Church! Oh…wait… that’s now. My bad.)

No, I DON’T think that “You’re Gay” or “That’s Gay” is an excellent response to any situation.

And friend, I don’t think you’re cool when you say that it is.

You know for a FACT that it is hurtful to use ‘gay’ as an insult, so now you have the choice – are you gonna do it anyway? How mean are you? How disrespectful to the struggles of countless others, their families and friends? How callous? How cruel?

Use your imagination and come up with a new word already.

It’ll take you awhile to kick the habit, but it’s worth it.
Swear if you have to.

AND UN-JOIN THAT STUPID GROUP OR UN-FRIEND ME!

The response was immediate, and resoundingly positive.  Many students who picked the note up through their news feed ‘liked’ the note without being invited.  Here are some of the comments that were posted:

“never thought of it like that, unjoined!!”

“thank you for showing me the light 8P”

“yer that is totally fair enough. i actually joined on account of an injoke with some friends, and the group related to the context of the situation, but fair point.”

I also got some lovely messages from fellow teachers who shared their stories and experiences, and the students would have read this too.

So…cost/benefits of dipping into the ‘teacher’ role on social networking sites?  You tell me. But I just got a whole bunch of students to leave that stupid group, and some are re-posting the note to their friends.  For tonight, 100% worth watching my online p’s and q’s to ensure I maintin my duty of care.

Teaching Excellence Award

It has been really nice over the past couple of weeks to get messages of congratualtions from friends and colleagues via Twitter, Facebook and email about the Award for Teaching Excellence that I recieved on the 29th of October.

THANKS EVERYONE!

My Highly Commended Award was in the Beginning Teacher category, and the other beginning teachers I met were truly inspirational, and humble.  Three out of the six of us were doing PhDs, can you believe it!  Now, don’t feel pressure anyone – it was a really skewed sample – but it sure was nice not to feel like an overqualified freak, just for a couple of days

Julia Gillard presented the Awards, and she came across as genuine and warm.  Her speech was quite uplifting, with lots of great comments about the quality of our teachers and schools, and a long list of what the Government was doing to make things even better.  Just a quick, camoflaged comment about improving schools by increasing “transperancy” raised my hackles, and the sudden bristling of many of those around me was palpable.

I did seriously consider taking a second on stage to mention to her what a bad idea we all thought school league tables were (even though this fact is well evidenced, and old news to boot, it reamins one of her goverment’s pet missions.  They even made NSW back down), but at the end of the day everyone was just being so nice and celebratory, it really didn’t seem right.  Guess that is me getting more wise and mature, huh.  Mum calls it ‘having a sense of occasion’…

But I digress.

South Western Sydney had quite a big proportion of Award winners – from Macquarie Fields, Casula, Campbelltown and Macarthur.  This was not altogether surprising, as I have seen first hand the remarkable energy, motivation and commitment that comes from most teachers in this area.  I am so proud to be from and work in this region!  Only question is, as the region keeps getting better and better, will we lose our ‘underdog’ status?  And if so, will we lose some of our drive?

Some other people I met during the Professional Exchange sessions that were doing really interesting stuff included teachers and Principal’s from schools that were running a safe a supportive alternative curriculum for pregnant students and teenage mothers, and that had developed an authentic, problem-based and cross-curricular approach to teaching mathematics.

It was also delightful to run into someone from Youth Off The Streets, who had received an award for the program’s school-community work with Key College, and also worked in my local area.

Teachers and schools sure do work hard.  So great to see ‘what it is all for’ on such resplendant display.  Congratualations everyone!

Facebook Status Update Cloud

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Freq: bed. day. drama. english. getting. home. students. tomorrow. weekend. year. (how mundane!)

NING tip for teachers

Of all the online teaching tools (edublogs, pbwiki, wetpaint, voicethread, twitter…facebook!) I have used in the past couple of years, I would have to say that the most successful (and my favourite) was the general purpose, customisable networking site, Ning.

I have used Ning now to coach debating teams, and to provide online homework/study support for my classes.

Here is a tip:
(it is one of my FAVOURITE things to do, because I would have loved this as a student!)

Turn on the photos section of your Ning.  At the end of important lessons, take a digital photo on your camera or phone of your whiteboard notes.  Post them up as photos on the Ning…really helps those who remember notes visually

P.S. An excellent example of how Ning has been used by educators for profressional learning and networking is The English Companion Ning, created for English teachers by Jim Burke.  Another I have come across more recently is The Educator’s PLN, a Ning created by Thomas Whitby to support the Personal Learning Networks of educators generally.

The power of time off #TED

The word of the day…sabbatical!

My new dream retirement plan, and some fascinating insights into design, in a TED Talk by Stefan Sagmeister:

On books and moving

Alas, Mr. K’s promotion up to Brisbane is in full swing, and now my HSC class is all wrapped up, it’s time for me to start my leave and follow suit.  Term 4 I’ll be finishing my PhD (yes, “finally”), and next year I’ll find a casual or temporary teaching job in Brisbane.  These are exciting times!

I know I have mentioned around the place that I am moving, but up until now I’ve been too busy to really think about it, or talk about it much.  The last couple of days of school were quite teary, and a lot of students came out of the woodwork to say goodbyes and thank yous.  It was sad, but lovely.  I had some great class parties – thanks for the cards and presents   I will miss my colleagues and students (not to mention family and friends!).

On Thursday, two comments that I found full of symbolism, and so very typical of an English teacher and her humanities-loving students were these:

1. I was talking with two very awesome students from year 10 about maybe going to their formal, and about some books I was supposed to lend them.  I said that I would leave the books at school for them to read next term – that way we also could be sure that we’d see each other again before the end of the year, because I’d neeed to get my books back even if I didn’t go to the formal.  And one of them started crying
2. Later, another year 10 student brought me a present – a book where you write down all the books you want to read, books you love, and books you have leant out to other people (because she had had my copy of Eclipse for about 6 months, and I had forgotten!)  We started talking about how the move was finally seeming real, and I mentioned that it had felt real to me once I found boxes to pack up my bookshelf.  I reckon moving never seems really real until you acknowledge you’ll have to pack up your books.  Then I started crying! Then we both were crying

Geeze, I had done so well all week! Ah well…I think most of you who have read this far will know how hard it can be to leave a school.  But bright things are on the horizon!

I’ll be keeping up my blog, hopefully even improving it.  One thing that is making the idea of moving easier is the strength and quality of my PLN…so thank you!

It’s hip to be square

With the Digital Education Revolution and the Laptops for Learning program putting laptops into the hands of every NSW public school Year 9 student next term, we ‘techies’ are finding ourselves very popular indeed.

There’s just not going to be enough support – tech support or curriculum/pedagogy support – for everyone to get it right straight away.  The laptop program can work in spite of this…in fact, it may even work better because of this.

The L4L program seems to many in schools to be a radical and dramatic project.  So radical and dramatic, in fact, that teachers seem to be happier than usual to admit they don’t know everything, and actually ask their colleagues for advice and help   Teachers in my faculty have started acting far more like a ‘community of learners’, rather than an ‘office of colleagues’ – people are motivating each other, praising each others achievements, and mentoring as much as they can.  Power relations are being disrupted as principals and head teachers are being mentored by classroom teachers; parents are having to concede that teachers have a level of knowledge and professionalism that deserves more respect than is usually see; students are realising that access to ‘technology’ means higher expectations, not more ‘bludge’ lessons.  Many are happy with this, and are rising to the challenge.

It is a Revolution indeed…one where it’s hip to be square!

New Class Rules

In preparation for leaving my classes to another teacher, I was trying to work out how to explain to her, and to the class, what was important about our classroom management.  In particular I have been thinking about my Year 8 class, who are a relaxed and cheerful bunch, with a lot of energy (no, I’m not being euphemistic here…not entirely anyway!), and although at times they could probably work harder, students are almost always engaged, happy, and trying their best.

So, I have made this new set of class rules to hand on to the next teacher, and also to give the kids before I go, so they know what they can expect to stay the same.  Of course, the school has it’s own set of generic rules, but my management style with the class has kind of evolved over time, without us explicitly talking about it.

8A RULES

1. We promise to sit quietly and pay attention to instructions, as long as the teacher doesn’t take too long to give them.
2. We always try to put our hand up before interrupting others, and to save our questions until the end of the teacher’s explanation, unless it is important.
3. We promise to work hard in class, as long as the teacher promises to encourage us and to help us to improve and do our best.
4. We always try to do our homework, because if we don’t, we might fall behind in class or slow the class down, which disadvantages ourselves and others.  We can always ask for help.
5. If one of us is unsettled, or is a distraction to others, we know the teacher might move us to another table, or to a table outside.  We know this is only to help us do our best, and that after half a period we can ask to return.
6. We always try our best to help each other learn.

Does anyone out there use something similar (i.e. with teacher expectations woven in as well)?

Overheard…

…today in an undisclosed faculty room.

Teacher 1: (cleaning kitechette)  There really was a lot of washing up in there.

Teacher 2: (at desk)  Well, yeah – but did you see we started putting the dirty cutlery in that bowl of water?  That was helpful, right??

Teacher 1: Umm, kind of, yes, except that the bowl was half full of left over jelly…

Oh dear

Suburbia

Workshop #2 with Lachlan and Year 10 tomorrow.  We will be discussing Suburbia, and how to see the suburbs (and other ‘ordinary’ things) through the eys of a poet.

To begin the workshop, Lachlan and I will both be showing a series of photos of the local area.  Mine are mostly of local gardens, skyscapes, and motorways.  I’m hoping to inspire the students to find unique and affective imagery in the world around them:

A great resource has also popped up this week – the youth current affairs program on Triple J’s 5.30pm radio show ‘Hack’ is focussing on the SUBURBS.  Throught the week they will be discussing Australian Suburbs: Paradise or Prison?