Teaching requires all your wit and candor to reach the kids. When the copy machine takes more than you have, it kind of wrecks your day, doesn’t it? I want to give you an example of how blogs can be therapeutic as well as educational, as I take you through a day when I was truly at the end of my rope!
Since I started teaching in 1997, I have had a love/hate relationship with copiers and printers. It can be so cool when you have a crisp, stapled presentation ready for 30 kids stacked flush on your desk ready to deliver. It’s even better when the print actually enhances the learning transaction and the standard is internalized as a result.
More often than that paper sucks.
Eight times out of 10 when I get my stuff to the copy room, there is a “jammed” sign on it. Other times it is out of paper in which case I have to use my valuable prep time getting cut on the box and opening reams to load in the machine. Even more frustrating are the times when there is a line of 3 or more of my colleagues all holding their “holy grails” of lessons in their arms waiting impatiently for the one in front to gather her/his business out of the way. Let me assure you, you’ll wish you were in hell if YOU are the one who jams the machine with those lines watching over your shoulder.
I’ve often avoided the copier issues by printing the stuff at my computer. We have Brother laser printers and they often work well. It’s never mattered how many trees I massacred as long as the ink was dark and flowed freely, which up to now it always has.
Alas, printers like people, get old I’m afraid. They need routine operations and recently, two in needed to be taken to a nearby cliff (if we had one in the desert) and put out of their misery. I’m speaking of one-half printing. Sound familiar? Lines streaking? Drum light flashing Morse code?
Today, I had all these wonderful road-blocks to getting my lessons taught. You know what I decided? I decided instead of cursing the printing darkness, I’m going to light a candle. Like an alcoholic in his bliss, I declared power over paper.
It will no longer control me!
I have set down a “what-if” scenario for every paper event I can fathom. I have decided that the wool has been pulled over my eyes long enough . . . paper and teaching . . . I can see so clearly for the first time in 10 years: I JUST DON’T NEED IT!
Van Gogh said art is done within limitation, not without. I will indeed have to get creative at times in order to keep my one-day-at-a-time commitment. My students already have a mother lode of printed material in their texts and their consumable books. I see no reason why I can’t pull this off! Stay with me as I try this path less trodden.
Once again for the blogosphere to archive: “I CONTROL PAPER, IT DOES NOT CONTROL ME!”
16 responses so far ↓
1
Bruce Vickery
// Jan 29, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Thanks for this Damian. Very engaging indeed. I am in a central office and there are two major incidents that can occur without any notice. Fire warning are possible and particularly if we are ablaze. Some times there may be a test where wardens calmly guide residents to an pretend safety point. Then there is the copier. Man o man, when it goes down there is chaos and warning blasts galore. You would be forgiven idf you thought a 1000 foxes had entered the chicken coup. Anyway - thanks mate.
PS: Your students are very lucky to have a creative and imaginary facilitator
2
Damien Riley
// Jan 29, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Thanks Bruce for those kind words. I am so glad to hear I’m not the only one who’s just about had it up to here with copies and paper!
3
Edublogs Magazine Publishes My: “Paper Does Not Control Me”
// Jan 29, 2008 at 7:33 pm
[...] The Edublogs Magazine : Paper Does Not Control Me [...]
4
» Edublogs Magazine Publishes My: “Paper Does Not Control Me” Dynamite Lesson Plan
// Feb 3, 2008 at 1:06 pm
[...] The Edublogs Magazine : Paper Does Not Control Me [...]
5
Education In the News - What’s Worth Checking Out — Open Education
// Feb 11, 2008 at 11:53 am
[...] Left Behind Acts. The magazine published by Lorelle VanFossen also offers a guest piece called Paper Does Not Control Me from a public school teacher by the name of Damien Riley. It begins with the line “Teaching [...]
6
lfox368806
// Feb 21, 2008 at 12:04 pm
What I love about computers is the way that I can bypass the printer.
I use my local printer/scanner to scan information. I can then pull it into a presentation, and, with a projector, give the whole class access to the information.
WITHOUT one tree falling.
7
http://magazine.edublogs.org/2008/01/29/paper-does-not-control-me/
// Mar 19, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[...] writing a post about this entry http://magazine.edublogs.org/2008/01/29/paper-does-not-control-me/ Stay [...]
8
how do i reach these kids
// Apr 9, 2008 at 9:06 pm
[...] than the first time around.http://www.chelseastandard.com/stories/041008/loc_20080410004.shtmlThe Edublogs Magazine : Paper Does Not Control MeTeaching requires all your wit and candor to reach the kids. When the copy machine takes more than [...]
9
copy machine
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10
Janelle Rigby
// Feb 21, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I love your idea. Another great way to avoid paper is to begin buying ebooks instead of textbooks. Not only will they cut down on paper and space, but also have features such as ‘read-aloud’ options and inbuilt dictionaries which aid children with various reading levels. I look forward to hearing an update of your progress.
11
Damien
// Feb 21, 2009 at 4:54 pm
@Janelle: Wow thanks. This year I’ve been exploring test prep through a projector and whiteboards. When they hold up the answer I can see right away who’s getting it.
It’s a tough process getting rid of what we are so used to. paper has been a mainstay for decades so I expect paperless teaching to take at least 10 years to catch on. meanwhile, I’m working my way there!
12
Damien
// Feb 21, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Thanks a lot! It’s a process but when you find paperless strategies, they are really gratifying.
13
e-books… e-xciting… e-xcellent | Janelle's Blog
// Feb 23, 2009 at 12:06 am
[...] the content can be continuously updated, paper is saved (as I suggested to a teacher blogger Damien Riley, who is passionate about saving paper), the material is always current and the cost of technology [...]
14
e-books… e-xciting… e-xcellent | Michelle's Blog
// Mar 3, 2009 at 4:43 am
[...] the content can be continuously updated, paper is saved (as I suggested to a teacher blogger Damien Riley, who is passionate about saving paper), the material is always current and the cost of technology [...]
15
Teaching Without Paper
// Mar 18, 2009 at 9:59 pm
[...] January of 2008 I was asked by Lorelle van Fossen to write a post for Edublogs Magazine. I had a short humorous post about a broken copy machine and my frustration. I added a few [...]
16
I Read a Post :: I Control Paper | The Damien Riley Podcast
// Mar 21, 2009 at 2:47 pm
[...] Standard Podcast [4:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download This is a reading of my post published about a year about on the Edublogs Magazine. My wife said it sounds like I am [...]
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