Elevator Speech: Chat Style

Me: I effectively used technology in a fifth grade classroom.

Devil’s Advocate: Yeah, but what about test scores?

Me: Well I did raise the scores of all my target group students.

Devil’s Advocate: Are you teaching them just to be test monkeys?

Test Monkeys?

Me: No, I have them doing critical thinking with podcasting and blogging.

Devil’s Advocate: Are you teaching them to be blogging monkeys?

Me: I have them creating, and talking to each other, and to the world!

Devil’s Advocate: But what kind of conversations are they having?

Blog Monkeys?

Me: Well they wrote up and recorded a list of inalienable rights of children.

Devil’s Advocate: Yeah right, no spankings or detention on there?

Me: Well, that did make it, but also no draft, and the right to work and have a job.

Devil’s Advocate: Hmmm…

Critical Thinking…

Me: But really, the blogs and podcasts are just tools, it’s the thinking that’s important.

Devil’s Advocate: Couldn’t you do it without the blogs and podcasts then?

Me: Well, it’s engaging for the kids, and makes it easier for me too. I mean, I can set up a penpal relationship with a class in Australia in about a minute. Or record and post a class discussion so it isn’t forgotten in the same amount of time.

Devil’s Advocate: Well, maybe…