Decatur teacher presenting at national conference

— Decatur teacher James Garner has been selected to speak at the National Council of Teachers of English national convention about his experience using technology to connect his students to a classroom 900 miles away.

Last year Garner, who teaches English and journalism, and his teaching partner, Rachel Stokes, of the Greenville High Academy of Law, Finance and Business, used video conferencing and online discussion to allow their Advanced Placement English Literature classes to study George Orwell’s novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" together.

After completing the innovative project, the two teachers co-wrote a paper on their experience and submitted it to the National Council of English Teachers. In May, they received word they had been chosen to speak at the national conference in Las Vegas this November, Garner said.

Garner and Stokes will make a 75-minute presentation titled "Using Edmoto and online video conferencing for collaborative distance learning in 21st Century Education" in the ballroom ofthe MGM Grand Hotel Convention Center.

More than 5,500 English teachers attend the annual event, to be held on Nov. 15-19, according to the NCTE website, www.ncte.org.

Garner said he was excited about the presentation, not only for himself, but for the school and his students.

“I think it’s important for our kids to see that we can be selected for things at this level and to see that writing makes a difference,” Garner said.

The fact that the teachers’ project was chosen also shows that Decatur is doing innovative things in education and embracing technology, Garner pointed out.

Garner and Stokes used edmoto.com, a secure social learning network similar to facebook but designed specifically for teachers and students, as well as Skype to bring their students together. Class discussions were posted online, allowing students to share their thoughts. The format of the class also helped prepare students for online college courses.

The two teachers met and developed the idea for the project while reading Advanced Placement tests in Louisville, Ky., over the course of several summers, Garner said.

Another bonus is that students get to interact with teachers all over the country and realize they have the same standards and expectations, Garner explained.

“It’s not just mean old Mr. Garner and mean old Mrs. Stokes,” Stokes said during a phone interview.

Garner's and Stokes' students have dramatically different demographics. The Greenville metro area has a population of 636,986, according to the 2010 census, and the high school alone has 1,436 students - nearly the entire population of Decatur. Despite the different settings, the 21 students in Stokes’ class and 16 students inGarner’s class found more similarities than differences. With nothing more to judge each other than a mug shot, the Internet quickly strips away any stereotypical barriers that might keep the students from communicating under normal circumstances, Stokes said.

“Their biggest reaction is that they realize these kids are all like them,” she said.

Garner and Stokes are not teaching the same classes this year, so combining their classrooms like they did last year will be difficult, but the two teachers are still working on a way to connect their students.

News, Pages 2 on 09/05/2012