Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century Technological Classroom
OK so disclaimer: I’m fascinated by how classroom setup affects the learning experience.
The epic 1999 Disney Channel original film, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century made a lot of guesses about what the future would look like. In 2049, we’d have video chat, super shiny leggings, and hologram teachers. When reading Digital Writing Matters this week, I immediately thought of 13-year-old Zenon’s middle school classroom on her space station, pictured below. The instructor is a hologram that appears in the middle of the circle.
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Did Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century model a digital ecology-centered technology classroom?
In the chapter Ecologies for Digital Writing in Digital Writing Matters, from the National Writing Project and Danielle Nicole DeVoss, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, and Troy Hicks, three components of a digital ecology are listed as: “The physical space for digital writing, the ethical, legal, and policy environments for digital writing, and online environments for digital writing” (DeVoss et al. 65). In the section on the physical classroom set up, we’re shown diagrams of typical computer labs, in comparison with those that might better encourage a more ecological, social approach to teaching digital writing.
Their first example shows a classroom set up in a traditional way – rows of desks with computers all facing the same way, towards the front of the room/the teacher, like a lecture hall. Digital Writing Matters authors point out: “Although students come to class in groups, these spaces facilitate individual, isolated learning that is the antithesis of the kind of collaboration and flexibility that networked computers can foster” (DeVoss et al. 66). Nancy Van Note Chism argues for a different kind of digital technological classroom – one that fosters flexibility, comfort, and support (DeVoss et al. 70-71).
This chapter had me thinking about the bias against technology – not only in schools, which I think we still see, but also at home. Teenagers on their phones, tablets, laptops, apparently checking out from the real world. But if this chapter is true, is technology really that isolating, or are we training students to use it in an isolating way, in an isolating environment?
What are some of the most isolating tech spaces you’ve worked in? What tech space was the most flexible, comfortable, and supported? Are we moving forward, creating spaces like Chism suggests, or is the default computer lab still reigning? What does this discussion of physical and online space mean for English teachers, charged with the task of instructing an inherently social practice – writing?
Molly, I need to first tell you how much I loved your Zenon example. It not only brought me back to my childhood (man, I keep dating myself) but it also reminded me how the structure and formatting of a learning environment can make all of the difference when teaching, either with or without technology.
ReplyDeleteFor example, while thinking about your question of the worst technology lab I have been in my answer would be the computer lab located at Somerville High School. I remembered the walls of the room being a bleak greyish color where eight rows of computers had four to each section, separated by a small walkway down the middle of the room. The teacher stood at the front and wrote on a white board what our assignments were for that day (typing specific letters, words, etc.), and, if that wasn't bad enough, it was also a dimly lit room. Although I think many educational programs have begun to see the error of their ways and have started to implement better learning spaces for students, I am still hesitant to think of collaboration being completely available while in a classroom or computer lab (have you seen a classroom in the McCormack building? They are so small it is nearly impossible to maneuver around).
Then I started to wonder if we take teaching one step further by utilizing active technology use for collaborative learning. For instance, when thinking about the article "Digitizing the Chaucerian Debate" it discusses how students interact with one another through the use of blog posts (Mueller, 197). Although the point of the assignment is to publish a post as their avatar (i.e., Chaucer, Satan, Miller, etc.) they are engaging with one another through comments which allow for a more collaborative learning experience. I don't think I have ever truly considered that online spaces such as a website could be acting as an learning space used by students. This makes me wonder if this has become one step further than what was depicted in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, where instead of physical spaces it has become technological instead.
I also think that most computer labs I have been in
From what I've seen, the reigning set up seems to be something like figure 3.2 in the book, except instead of a conference table there is another long middle row of computers that is double sided - I've rarely seen a classroom in general lucky enough to house only 20 students. I think this is partially due to the idea mentioned in the book, "many of our schools' and institutions' computer labs still look much the way they did when they were first built" (66). I've attended two pre-college schools myself and taught in two more and all four had the same set-up. Three of the four schools were built in the 1960s as well. (one was much earlier but that school was an outlier in a lot of ways and the computer room still ended up the same). I think the dated nature of the schools definitely lend to the way the rooms are set up, but they are also very isolating. If you are on that far wall with three rows of computers emanating from that wall and the teacher all the way at the front of the room by the projected computer, you are not hearing what is going on. You can't hear the teacher with experience projecting their voice let alone your classmate sitting next to them who does not project their voice. At that point as a student you listen to the people just closest to you and do the best you can.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher in that setting I try my best to circulate and set students in groups BEFORE they get to the computer room so the isolating effect of trying to hear a voice a million miles away isn't quite so daunting. I think though the book largely suggests teachers need to create this ecology and hopes that in the future teachers will have more control over those things and we just aren't there yet unfortunately.
I'm glad you latched onto the physical classroom space for this post, Molly. As much as I'd like to believe that space is not that limiting for teaching, I've learned over time that the environment matters - BIG TIME. The first time I taught this course, I took it offline and they scheduled me for a windowless computer lab in the basement of Wheatley. I took one step in that room and then walked immediately out of it. I didn't care that we wouldn't have computers available in the room we ended up in. For me, the lab space was so oppressive that I couldn't imagine it as an effective learning space. Of course, I had the luxury of having students who had access to laptops or desktop computers at home. If I didn't, we probably would still be having class in that cell. Now, schools are focusing less on labs and more on laptop or Chromebook carts, which allow for much more mobility. This has been a really positive development, I think, but it has a potential drawback - too much freedom. As mentioned in the same chapter, schools are invested in "locking down" student access, which includes surveillance of student activity. I have mixed feelings about this. While I realize that there are legal and ethical justifications for such monitoring, I feel uncomfortable being Big Brother. And really, I think we need to teach digital citizenship, which helps students make ethical decisions online, especially when they have the freedom to do otherwise.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of the most isolating tech spaces you’ve worked in? What tech space was the most flexible, comfortable, and supported?
ReplyDeleteAll throughout elementary, middle, and high school, our "computer labs" have been set up with this individual and isolating setup. I felt that I was competing with my fellow classmates to type the fastest, have the best block letter formatted letter (such an outdated skill they were still forcing students to learn in 2010 when I was a high school freshmen), and there was no room for collaboration.
I don't think I've experienced a flexible, group oriented tech space, and this is problematic. Students can learn a lot from their peers, especially if the instructor may not be as digitally literate. If we set up these tech spaces as collaborative, it can benefit the students and instructors. Instead of making it a competition, we can provide support for those students who may not have the privilege at home of internet access or computer access. By allowing team work, we can ensure all students needs are met.
I think teaching in an online space can be a challenge. I have never tried to teach anything online, but I have taken a few online classes, which despite being convenient, were incredibly isolating experiences. I have typically tried to avoid taking classes online because there is usually no collaborative work in classes online. Although two of the online classes I took had a weekly class discussion on a chat box, the feeling of being a part of the class is missing. In fact, in such classes you don't even really get to know anyone else who is taking the class. Even introductions in online classes are strangely isolating. Students may be required to post a short blog post about themselves, but it's doubtful that everyone reads each others.
ReplyDeleteI think using space online to conduct a class is an exciting prospect, however, the class has to be structured in a way that encourages collaboration. For example, rather than weekly blog posts, perhaps the assignment could be a weekly video response in addition to commenting on two other responses. It seems online classes are structured in a way that does not encourage discussion between peers, and that to me is one of the most important parts in a class.
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ReplyDeleteHey Molly! I like your post. I think that the most isloated tech space that I have seen is also the computer lab in my high school (I guess others have had the same experience). In my school, each computer was placed in a way that made them face away from each other. We were made to work mostly by ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one of my teachers challenged this and made us work on the same project in pairs. Since there was an even number of students in my class, the teacher tried this and it worked in her favour and in ours. We got our projects done faster and we had fun while doing it. Maybe if we tried replicating these creative strategies, tech in the classroom won't be as isolating.
Having students work in pairs is one way of doing it; there is also the possibility of having the students work on a shared folder/document. Each and every change made by all of the students will be recorded and this could add a feeling of inclusion.
The point of this annecdote is that tech can be isolating of we don't get creative with it. These questions are very valid and I think that it is the right time to be asking them. As I have mentioned before (and I probably will again), the thought of having technology in the classroom is still new and there are many changes that can happen. So, its good to be thinking!
It's interesting to think about how technology's integration into classrooms could be isolating. My high school computer lab experience lines itself up with the 3.2 classroom model in a room with windows for walls; yet, I can remember the strange, focused typing-only silence in those rooms (the quietest I'd heard most of those classes) as my classes worked on something, which seems to evince isolation rather than collaboration. I had a similar experience in my own class recently where I asked students to pull out their phones/tablets/computers to find the definition of a word I knew they didn't look up while reading for homework. My hope was that this would show them to actively use their resources to supplement their close-readings, and also to have them work together, semi-collaboratively to learn a new interesting word that changes the poem's meaning; yet, as I watched them look down at their devices, I was struck by how quiet it got and how isolated they (and I, alone at the front of the room at the moment) seemed. Of course, this wasn't quite the same as a more thought-out use of tech collaboratively, but it nonetheless gave me a brief view on how tech can isolate when it's intended to do the opposite.
ReplyDeleteThough I've only seen it used in class a few times, I've found that Google Docs/Sheets/Slides can be used well to make a collaborative classroom. These allow people to concurrently edit documents and watch their collaborators as they do the same (Windows online Word, Excel, etc. allow similar document sharing, but they don't do as good of a job at showing live edits). This not only lets student work on the same thing at the same time, but I've seen it increasing dialogue in the room--it's still easier (or at least more intuitive) to respond to someone's work verbally than through the chat option.
First off, thank you so much for the Zenon memories. I need to track down a copy of that movie... I appreciate your interest in physical space in the classroom in relation to the way that we use technology independently (in isolation) or collaboratively. Your question reminded me of visiting the computer lab in Spanish class in high school. The room was set up like the first example provided by Devoss et al. (although the teacher sat behind us so that she could watch our screens...), but the real kicker was that we would sign in and chat with a random partner in Spanish via a headset. Which, when you think about it, is ridiculous! Why not just ask us to face each other and have a conversation in person? This is an interesting example because it is a sort of combination of isolated technology use and collaborative technology use. However, the collaborative elements could have been far better realized if technology was not part of the process.
ReplyDeleteThis is me!! I don't know why this posted as anonymous
DeleteHi Molly! Thinking back to my schooling experience, the most common way in setting up a tech lab/ classroom is the example that you had mentioned from the text. All the tables were facing the front of the room and the computer monitors are so big that it almost felt like we weren't even connected to the teacher. There were also times, during tests and such, were these blinder-like things were put in between the students' computers. I felt very alone in these situations. To play devil's advocate, this isolation did help particularly chatty students from getting distracted, but it also eliminated any sort of group work that could have been done.
ReplyDeleteI think the most comfortable or flexible tech spaces or examples used in the classroom would be like Kieran mentioned. The use of a google doc projected on the screen could be used in a collaborative way and get away from the more "isolated" feel. I also remember in high school, in a digital media class, the tables were set up kind of like groups, with four computers (two on each side) and what was really important was the rolling chairs that were provided. This way, we could turn our chairs to the front of the room, or to another group's space and be able to feel more connected and comfortable in the class.
First off, thank you so much for the Zenon memories. I need to track down a copy of that movie... I appreciate your interest in physical space in the classroom in relation to the way that we use technology independently (in isolation) or collaboratively. Your question reminded me of visiting the computer lab in Spanish class in high school. The room was set up like the first example provided by Devoss et al. (although the teacher sat behind us so that she could watch our screens...), but the real kicker was that we would sign in and chat with a random partner in Spanish via a headset. Which, when you think about it, is ridiculous! Why not just ask us to face each other and have a conversation in person? This is an interesting example because it is a sort of combination of isolated technology use and collaborative technology use. However, the collaborative elements could have been far better realized if technology was not part of the process.
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ReplyDeleteZenon is one of my favorite DCOMs! Zetus Lapetus! I work in the Box Office at an art museum (though I do also work at the admissions desk, I’m talking about our small ticketing office). The room is tiny an cramped, and the two desks are nailed to the floor. There is a wall between my desk and my colleague’s desk, so we have to lean over to talk to each other. It’s one of the most isolating spaces I’ve ever worked in. I rarely have face-to-face interaction, and most of the conversations are either over the phone or email. At times it can be very stressful. We literally call it the bat-cave. The computer lab at my high school was more like the Digital Studio in the english department. The teacher’s desk was near the middle, next to a conference table, with the computers aligning the walls. We also had swivel chairs, so it was easy to move around and collaborate. Of course the traditional computer labs still exist, but things seem to be shifting more toward a healthier ecology.
ReplyDeleteHey Molly and everyone else!
ReplyDeleteTo respond to your question about whether we are moving forward, my short answer is yes. My high school computer lab experience was similarly old-school and isolated. My idea of a healthy tech room setup is something like what we have in our grad class - we all face each other, some of us have computers open and some don't (but ideally we all have access to one if we prefer) - and they are somewhat seemlessly integrated. I'm happy to say that in the high school I'm student teaching at right now, there is a similar setup. The tables are arranged so there are 3-4 students at each one, and they generally work together in groups. The teacher doesn't have a desk or area in the front where she always stands - she tends to walk around as she talks, then often joins a group. The classroom (usually) has a cart full of Chromebooks, which the students often use, but they always have a choice - some kids type a draft of an argument essay while others use pencil and paper. Others fill out an optional graphic organizer.
That being said, the library computer lab still looks like Figure 3.1 on page 67 of BDWM. The computers are not only in rows, but they have cubicle-esque walls between them. I think there are times when this isolation is nice for students trying to focus - I know I use the cubicles in the UMass library sometimes - but doesn't work so well for whole-class lessons and group activities.
During my time working at Salem High School for an alternative program for students with behavioral and truancy issues, we had a very restrictive tech environment my first year there. It was a room exactly as described in Because Digital Writing Matters, row after row of computers facing the front of the room where the instructor would sit. This setup is bad enough for traditional high school students. For our students, who need constant support and interaction, it was a nightmare. We, as instructors, wouldn't even sit at the front of the room at the teacher's desk. We would spread ourselves around the room and be as "among the students" as the space would allow.
ReplyDeleteThe space restricted the students and it showed in their work. They had a very difficult time focusing and would often get up to leave. I should also note that the room had no windows and the walls were blank, white.
My second year in the program, we received a grant of twenty chrome books. It was a gift from Heaven. We immediately closed up the computer lab (figuratively. Other departments still used it) and moved all computer work to the English classroom, a room that had a large conference room setup with some smaller desks spread out around the table. The change in student attitude and performance was palpable. It was far easier to work in groups, for us to move from student to student and check in with them and quite simply, the environment was just better, for everyone. So, I can definitely say with first hand experience that the physical layout of a room certainly can impact the learning abilities of our students and quite honestly, the moods of our teachers!
Great post, Molly! My feeling is that the bias found in education against technology has been dramatically influenced by social media. One perception of social media is that it actually can created isolated pockets/communities rather than the highly promoted idea of making it easier to communicate across social groups in a casual way. When these isolated pockets are created, they typically lead to a kind of social Groupthink. Those participating in these pockets of isolation commonly have their own beliefs and ideas reinforced by others in the community who more than often share the same beliefs and backgrounds as their peers. I see these pockets as some of the most isolating tech spaces that I have observed: where a community of individuals actually seem to function as a closed collective of one school of thought.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your example from the text of the classic, physical setup of a classroom and how you contrasted that with the space in which Zenon is educated. My first semester at UMass Boston has been really refreshing in terms of every course I am taking is physically set up as a circle and that the structure of a seminar is highly collaborative. I thought back to my undergraduate days and the course that were also set up in this manner were the ones I got the most out of and that still guide my academic think to this day.