Pushing the Limit?

Some seniors had on shirts that looked like they said “08” (as in the class of ‘08) with the motto “Pushing the Limit.” But being clever students, if you looked closely, the shirt really read “.08.” Which gives an entirely new meaning to the phrase, “Pushing the Limit.”

Is this a big deal? I don’t know.

It’s always this time of the year when this kind of drama emerges.

I was not any different as a high school student. I began drinking the summer before my senior year and continued it throughout my senior year.

However, had I worn a shirt like that, I would have expected the consequences. First, had Mom discovered it, she would have thrown it away or forbade me to wear it.

Had my football coach, and assistant principal seen it, he would have called me a dumb ass and let me have it. Which is how I’ll handle any who wear it in my class today.

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I take that back. There was nothing clever about it. Apparently, there was a story on Channel One earlier this year talking about a class that pulled the same thing with their year book. Not only is it not clever anymore, but it is damn near plagiarism.

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Now I’m devising my own slogans and shirts for this group of seniors. “08” “total number of hockey wins.” “08” - “Pushing the carts at Walmart.” “08” - “Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?” “08” “Here turkey, turkey” (insert obligatory derogatory remark about the turkey plant here).

But now I’m being just as juvenile as the seniors. But damn it’s fun.

At least they didn’t wear them when the reporter from WDAZ was here.

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A fellow teacher here, Mike, just had the coolest idea ever in class. He was discussing several key elements of culture, technology being one.

After discussing how technology impacts and, ultimately, changes our lives, the conversation eventually veered to cell phones. Mike quizzed his class on how many of them had cell phones . All but two raised their hands.

Then he got an idea (and this is what is so brilliant about it). He decided to have the first (annual?) Cell Phone Olympics.

He had four students in class text four other students in various class, one being in my College Comp class. Though we have a cell phone policy for class use, the reality is that students do not obey it and there is very little we can do about it (other than having a shelf system where students set their cell phones upon entering - or -- as I’m privately saving up for (along with some other teachers) to chip in and buy jamming software, which I’m told is illegal - safety reasons supposedly - but how isn’t school a safe environment?).

Mike informed me that my student was one of the final to respond to the text message she was sent. That didn’t offer much solace. Within two minutes, all four of his students had received texts from the students in the other classes. In fact, one student even called the student in his class . . . from the bathroom.

What can you do?

The kids will find a way. I’m with Mike. Instead of finding ways to combat a losing mission, why not embrace it and find a way to use it.

Before I retire, I have a feeling I will be getting my students’ papers strictly via computer and phone and ipod and whatever else looming on the horizon. Maybe they’ll just type them and be able to download them straight to my brain.

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On my way to work each morning I’ve been listening to podcasts devoted to education. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, itunes has a TON of podcasts concerned with education. One of my favorites is from PBS called “Education Podcast with John Merrow.” Each episode is only about 20 minutes. He focuses on some really interesting subjects, like NCLB, testing, underachieving schools, involving parents and the community in the education process, and so on. Right now I have 93 episodes to choose from. All for free too.

In addition to podcasts, I also really like itunesU. This is where universities can upload various podcasts and lectures and even videos for the general population to download onto their ipods/computers. Stanford has an excellent selection focusing on education. This morning I was listening to a round table discussion presented by Stanford entitled “Why Read Books?” Last night on the way home I decided to take a break from Vincent Price’s “The Price of Fear” Old Time Radio podcast and I listened to an analysis of Herbert Spencer’s famous essay “What Knowledge is of Most Worth?”

Art Ellis, from Seattle Pacific University, in analyzing Spencer’s essay, sketched out some of the historical background concerning knowledge and education during the industrial revolution. He talked about those in power moved away from an exclusive view of education to one that sought to educate the blue collar class. This lead to lecture series and forums around the country. Of course, it seems to me that this type of entertainment and education is dead in our popular culture. I thought of Robert Frost who used to travel the country reciting his poetry and offering his ideas on it. I thought too of my uncle Jim in Colorado who, along with several others, presented a lecture/presentation on Frost’s poetry to coincide with his birthday. It was a huge success.

But that is rare, or so it seems to me.

However, ipods and podcasts might have offered a way to revive lectures and forums. I’m already toying with the idea of creating podcasts for at least one class next year for students to download each week to help them prep for tests or themes.

But it need not stop there. Thanks to the podcast called “Learning in Hand: iPods” I now know I can take a Keynote presentation and save it as individual jpg files. Then I can have students download it right to their ipods, so they can then watch them right on their ipods -whenever and wherever they want. Of course, they won’t quite be as effective as the real thing in class, but it’s better than not getting the presentation at all.

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What I find really interesting about this technological revolution we’re caught in right now is that it is different from the surge we experienced when I was in high school.

A few kids had computers. But they were the offspring of wealthy people, the lawyers kids, the banker’s kids, the CEO’s kids and so on.

However, that has totally changed today. Regardless of economic background, students have cell phones and ipods. As one of my peers pointed out, one of our students has a cell phone that can connect him to the internet. Yet, he cannot read.

The technology is here to stay. We have to use it and change our old ways.