I'm beginning to see a trend

I'm starting to see a trend here... Sir Richard Branson has jumped into the digital publishing arena. Branson and his company Virgin Digital Publishing will release "Project", a lifestyle publication, sold exclusively on the iPad. The publication is a monthly magazine that will give readers changing news, as often as "minute-by-minute". This is one great positive to digital publishing over traditional publishing. Digital publishing can be updated and changed quickly and at a moments notice. An author or reader does not have to wait a month for an update. Since the release of the iPad in April of 2009, traditional publishers have began to look at building digital readership instead of putting all their resources into developing print publications.

While the headline of the article focuses on Branson and his new endeavor, what follows reaffirms what my two previous blog posts have stated. eReaders are becoming more popular and more affordable. This article from eCommerce Times states 55% of tablet or ereader owners are consuming more digital content then they expected. As preferences begin to shift from traditional to digital, publishers will be or are already beginning to strategically transition. How will this new model effect the traditional publisher? What strategic restructuring will need to take place? How with this restructuring affect the pricing structure of the ebook? The answers to these questions are too early to determine, but one thing is for sure, I'm seeing a strong trend favoring ereaders and epublications and this trend will continue as more publishers begin making more material accessible for these devices.

Ereaders in the News

In the last few years many people have been discussing the potential for ereaders to transform education in America. Several people have written and researched extensively on the topic. This week I came across this article by Megan Street, Ten Ways to Read Without a Book. She opened the blog with a bold statement by Nicolas Negroponte, the founder of the One Laptop Per Child Initiative. Negroponte believes that by 2015 the printed book will be dead. Wow! What a radical, but very true statement with the technologies that are being developed in the print and publishing world today. Negroponte went on to explain that digital will replace physical books as the “dominant” way of reading. In fact, in July 2010, Kindle books outsold hardback books at amazon.com. Street’s article focuses on the ten ereaders or devices that will allow you to read without a book. I have heard of several of these devices but several were new to me. These devices or ereaders are becoming more and more affordable.

On the education front, many believe that as schools have more access to computers and other technologies, textbooks will become obsolete. Ereaders also have the ability to help students become better readers and writers. A study conducted at California Lutheran University showed an increase in students reading and writing skills during their two semester pilot program.

Ereaders and mobile devices have the potential to affect the way we read in the future. Actually, ereaders and mobile devices can affect the way we read NOW. What are the implications for the educational world? What are the implications for the publishing world?


Jeremy Rinkel
http://www.teacherauthors.com
http://www.pdquickreads.com

Ideas for new Pre-service Teacher Education

Once a student is enrolled in a teacher education program, classroom experiences need to begin. The classroom observations/field experiences are not as beneficial as they could be. During my observations I had to complete as a pre-service teacher, I observed six different teachers in four different school districts. One of the observation locations had to be in a school of poverty or diversity. Sixteen hours does not give you a realistic view of a school. One positive to the observations was the opportunities to visit various schools and districts to see positives and negatives of each. The negative of observations (based on my experience and discussing with others): 1) very little interaction with students 2) a very short amount of time asking cooperating teacher questions 3) hours of time spent watching (lack of hands on) 4) a lot of experience grading the papers of the teacher you are observing.

So, how should classroom observations/field experiences be designed? First, observation placements should be a minimum of seven days. The first two days can be used for the teacher, pre-service teacher, and students to get acquainted and allow the pre-service teacher to observe basic classroom activities. The next two days, the pre-service teacher should be involved in the instructional process. On the 5th & 6th days the pre-service teacher should "be-in-charge" and "run" the classroom. Day 7 could be spent observing another teacher in the school building or reflect upon their teaching the day before. The cooperating teacher would be required to provide an accurate assessment of the pre-service teachers performance. Not the typical "you did great" or 10s on everything like I received most of the time. I knew I wasn't perfect, I'm not perfect now, I have a lot to learn and strive to get better every day.

Here is the proposed requirement for pre-service teachers:

Pre-service teachers would be required to complete a seven day observation period in four different schools, one being diverse, each semester of their final two years of teacher training. In addition to the required classroom observations, instead of a semester of student teaching, the pre-service teacher would be required to complete either a 12-week intensive of "student teaching" or 2- six week "student teaching" intensives. Pre-service teachers will be assigned to "student teach" in a school they have observed, so it isn't a completely new interaction between the pre-service teacher and the students. These are two suggestions I have for fixing the broken teacher training system. I'm not sure if these are the answers or even a step in the right direction. One thing is known for sure, right now we have a broken system and we need to find a way to fix it, instead of complain about it. There will be critics of any proposed changes. Currently, with the way things are, school administrators and teachers would be reluctant to give pre-service teachers this much time out of their school days. In the world of NCLB, schools feel the pressure of making AYP, so very little time is spent getting pre-service teachers adequately prepared.

Better Pre-Service Teacher Training

According to a report published in 2006 by Arthur Levine, "more than three out of five teachers surveyed said that their education school didn’t prepare them adequately for the "real-world" experience of teaching" (District Administrator, 2009). This finding is problematic, but very realistic. Unfortunately, I can honestly say that I wasn't adequately prepared for what I would face inside the classroom. I had an advantage that I worked as a substitute teacher as I went through the teacher certification process. I'm not sure anything can prepare you completely. As I reflect on my teacher education, it seems that most of it is focused on the "glories" or the successes that come with the profession. Without sounding negative, those are great things to focus on, but for a first-year teacher, the "fairy-tale" teaching experience probably doesn't exist. As stated above, I substitute taught for a year and a half, where I learned and developed skills that teacher-training programs cannot offer. Not that the observation time required was useless, but having control and being in charge of the classroom will give you a more realistic view of what a classroom is like. Our current system is broke. Thousands of teachers are leaving the education field with less than five years experience. A later blog will focus on a plan for pre-service teachers, as well as a plan of retaining effective teachers.

Inspire...Provide...Support--VLOG

Focusing on Next Year

Classroom Remixed Media Coverage

Below are links to media coverage My co-author and I have received:

Effingham Daily News

WJBD--Salem Radio

SE Missourian

Contact Your Local Legislators

Education funding in Illinois will be slashed 1.3 billion dollars next year according to Governor Quinn. Many teachers are losing their jobs and those in power need to hear how this is affecting our students and teachers. I think it is crucial that we get our students and parents involved in fighting for their districts. I spent my day Friday discussing cuts at my district and how we need to respond in a positive way. Teachers know a lot about the current educational funding situation and could probably talk for an hour or so on the issues that affect us. Encourage your students and their parents to make their voice heard.

Below is a phone script for students and parents I wrote this afternoon:

Student Script

Hello. My name is ________________. I am a student at South Central High School in Farina, IL.

As you are already aware, Governor Quinn is proposing a 1.3 billion dollar cut to schools in Illinois.

These cuts by the Governor have now affected my school district. My district has to cut nearly $500,000 out of their budget. These cuts will affect good quality teachers and programs that will prepare me for the future. The lack of funding is leaving over 15,000 teachers without jobs and affecting millions of children’s educations. I don’t feel additional taxes is the answer.

I ask that you work with your fellow congressmen and senators, putting party affiliation aside, to come to a solution to properly fund schools. Funding schools adequately and equally will give students like me the opportunity to succeed in the world today.

Thank you for your time.


Parent Script

Hello. My name is ________________. My son/daughter is a student at South Central High School in Farina, IL.

As you are already aware, Governor Quinn is proposing a 1.3 billion dollar cut to schools in Illinois.

These cuts by the Governor have now affected my child’s school district. My district has to cut nearly $500,000 out of their budget. These cuts will affect good quality teachers and programs that will prepare my child for the future. The lack of funding is leaving over 15,000 teachers without jobs and affecting millions of children’s educations. I don’t feel additional taxes is the answer.

I ask that you work with your fellow congressmen and senators, putting party affiliation aside, to come to a solution to properly fund schools. Funding schools adequately and equally will give students the opportunity to succeed in the world today.

Thank you for your time.

Book Press Release

New Book by Local Author Focuses on Change in the Classroom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:
Jeremy Rinkel
classroomremixed@yahoo.com


Effingham, IL – Two University of Illinois online graduate students, Jeremy Rinkel and Majhon Phillips, have co-authored a book that focuses on America's changing classroom. One interesting fact… they have never met in person and the book was put together over various online meetings throughout the past year. “Our belief is that education in the U.S. needs not only to be evaluated, but also desperately needs reform. We are concerned that as a country, our students are not ready for the global world. Our goal is to educate and recruit teachers to help transform education and to make sure our students are adequately prepared for the globalized world.”

The book, Classroom Remixed: Incorporating Technology in the Globalized Classroom offers an overview of America’s classroom in the early 21st century. It introduces tools that can benefit teachers, tools that can help students, and an introduction into the world of the current student population. This book can be an aid to classroom teachers, mentors, parents, and students alike. Rinkel and Phillips aim to bridge the gap between the native digital generation and those who work with them. The book can be a handbook that will leave readers feeling inspired and excited about their own work with young people and how they can incorporate technology and globalization into their own lives and careers.

Rinkel is currently teaching English at South Central High School in Farina, IL. Phillips teaches music and is the president of Globalize Our Generation, Inc (http://www.globalizeourgeneration.com. The website to accompany the book is http://classroomremixed.ning.com

Take Time to Refocus

Refocus...Refocus...Refocus

As the New Year begins, it is time to reflect and refocus my career as a teacher. I'm not one for making resolutions because resolutions usually aren't kept. We strive day in and day out creating stimulating lesson, sometimes effective, but other times fail. Educators must take time to recharge and refocus their purpose and idea for their students. Before I left for Christmas break, I had one of "those" days. During lunch I wrote the following five questions to help me refocus and attempt to improve myself, my school, my district, and the field of education.

1) What is the biggest challenge facing our students?

2) What is the biggest challenge facing our district?

3) What challenges am I facing as a teacher?

4) What is the biggest challenge facing the educational system in the United States?

5) Knowing what I know and controlling what I can control, how can I improve my classroom, my school, and the national education system?

Each question solidifies the reason I am a teacher. Students need me. They need you. I see value in the education of young people. The challenges are many...the solutions are few. We, as educators, must take the time to refocus and go back to the question: why do you teach?