My Web2.0 Tools Wiki and Poster (Edu641)

edu641 mod 11-2 and 11-3

This week we created a wiki page with Web 2.0 resources and a QR code poster to advertise the wiki.  I created a Glog poster that can be printed, with a QR code to get to the online Glog as well as the wiki.



Click to play




Here is the link to my wiki page
                                           or snap this code: 







Here is the link to my Glogster QR poster

Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to embed the code for my Voki on Glogster. I also added 4 more posters to my wiki. 


                                           

Keeping up with Technology

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Keeping up with technology is important for everyone, but especially for the technology integrators, because they are the knowledge base for the school. Technology is constantly changing and if you do not have the latest operating system, you may miss out on using new apps that may not be compatible with previous versions of the OS.  

Case in point:when Apple released version 7 of its iOS, there were already many new apps being released that require iOS7.  On the Internet as well, Web2.0 apps are being developed every day and in order to prepare our students for the future, they need to know how to use the latest technology, so that they are able to transition to the latest products and applications once they are out in the world. 

AbleNet Blue2 Switch

Another reason is, in the area of alternative technology, there are always new products that can help our students, who are all struggling to keep up with their learning objectives.  But over the last few years there have been so many new products that have been released that have really made a difference, from iPads to Bluetooth switches for the iPads, and text to speech applications like Kurzweil and Clicker6 or Dragon Naturally Speaking that help students who have difficulties with reading and writing and help to level the playing field for those kids.  In addition, the newer versions of these and other applications make life easier for the teachers, with the improved functionality that the newer versions offer. For example, in Clicker5, word banks had to be built one word at a time, but in the latest version, a teacher can enter a passage of text into a form and the software now builds the word banks automatically.


If we do not keep up with the technology we will be left behind.  Every new release or product or tool is a step up and it is easier to move one step at a time, versus trying to jump from the bottom step to a step halfway up the ladder. We also have to keep up with the students who are already immersed in the technology. Although we do not have to know everything, we need to be able to speak intelligently about technology, if we want the digital natives to take us seriously.

NETS Proficiencies

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Here is my wiki on the NETS-T and NETS-A mastery.  I took the information I learned from my observations and interviews and put the artifacts into a matrix for each area showing how they meet the standards.  

I thought I could embed it here, but I could not figure out how to do it, so here is a link to my wiki.

Measuring NETS Competence

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Describe how we will know if teachers and administrators are meeting these competencies. At the end of your post, pose one hypothetical situation in which one or more of these groups may be working toward one of the NETS. Be sure to provide enough context so that your classmates can respond to the hypothetical with potential methods for measuring the competency or competencies


ISTE's NETS-S lists criteria to measure students' competence with technology.  In the same vein, the NETS-T and NETS-A measures teachers' and administrators' technology competence.  Using the following list of competencies, we can assess the level of integration of technology into their practices. Basically the NETS for teachers requires that educators use technology to:

1. facilitate learning experiences that promote active learning, collaboration, innovation and reflection in face to face and virtual environments
2. design authentic instruction and assessment that incorporate digital tools to differentiate learning
3. engage students in collaborative learning locally and globally
4. model appropriate Internet activity and promote digital citizenship and safety, and
5. model lifelong learning and collaboration with other educators to improve their instruction.

Similarily, the NETS for administrators tasks school leaders to use technology to:

1. model and promote the effective use of technology for learning, provide learner-centered environments equipped with technology that meet the needs of all learning styles
2. ensure effective use of technology across the curriculum, including providing opportunities for professional development in the use and integration of technology for educators.
3. communicate a shared vision of technology integration to promote learning and collaboration locally and globally, by participating in local and global committees to lead the development of effective digital learning experiences
4. model digital age communication and digital citizenship and ensure ubiquitous access to appropriate digital tools to promote learning, and
5. facilitate a robust infrastructure to meet the needs of digital aged learners and improve staff performance.

Observation of the teachers' and administrators' practices and samples of work that the students produce, shows us whether the educators are meeting these competencies. Also observation of the students, are they engaged in the work? Are they working and collaborating with others? Are they actively solving problems, seeking out new solutions and creating artifacts of learning?

As an example, one of our teachers is interested in promoting global collaboration by participating in activities with another class from another state via Skype.  Our first step in this process is to participate in a Mystery Skype with a class to guess where each of the classes lives.  We are hoping to do this within the next two weeks, barring any more scheduling glitches.   We hope to continue this interaction with the other class on other projects, as well as with other classes in the future.  How do we measure our progress?

Promoting Tinkering in STEM Education

I just came across this via Facebook and had to share it.  This slidedeck was created by the coauthor of my favorite book on constructionist education, Invent to Learn, Sylvia Martinez.  It's a great read with lots of ideas and has a Kindle version too.

Tinkering towards technology literacy from smartinez

References: Martinez, S.  Tinkering and stem, good for girls and all. [Weblog]. Retrieved from: http://sylviamartinez.com/tinkering-and-stem-good-for-girls-good-for-all/

Virtual Learning Opportunities at VLACS

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I was skeptical of virtual schools, but after researching the VLACs website, I wish it was available when my daughter, now 30, was in high school.  She was finally diagnosed with ADD when she was 18 years old, a little late to help with the struggles she endured all through middle and high school.  She hated going to school and fell behind but, against my wishes, was "socially promoted" from 7th through 12th grade.  One of the statements on the site that brought it home for me was that "each student is directly accountable for every query, question or exercise" (VLACS, 2013), unlike the traditional classroom where students can hide in the back of the class and just go through the motions of attending class.  After viewing the sample tour of the technology class, I want to take the programming class myself!  

Click for Computer Programming Course Tour

The Virtual Learning Academy, or VLACS, was founded in 2007, and is an online school with offices located in Exeter, NH. It is funded by the NH Education Trust Fund, which funds charter schools. Although the site claims that funds are not taken from public school funding sources, it still has to add to the tax burden of the NH citizens.  All classes are taught by highly qualified NH certified teachers who are required to communicate with students at least monthly via phone or online.  They also submit progress reports monthly and have regular office hours so that students can pop in with questions. The one question I have that I could not find the answer to is what is the student to teacher ratio?  I am curious as to how many students each teacher has to split their time with, and as a result, how much time each student receives. Students also have an advisor who is available to answer questions about classes, credits and preparation for college.  The curriculum was developed by the Florida Virtual School, which was founded in 1997, but it is also reviewed and approved by the NH Department of Education. 

VLACS accepts full time as well as part time students, who need to supplement their school's curriculum, make up classes, or for enrichment activities.  Another benefit it offers is dual credit courses, which allow students to take college level courses, in partnership with SNHU and the NH Community College system, taught by teachers who have been certified as adjunct instructors by SNHU. However there are restrictions, students must have not earned a high school diploma, and must complete all course work before their 21st birthday.  This was a disappointment to me as I thought it would be a good opportunity for a student we have at school, who has graduated but is under 22, so has received an extension from this sending school for a year to work on "transition opportunities" while his adult placement it being developed. This particular student is also from out of state so there would be a cost. VLACS accepts non-residents if space is available, but they are charged $920 per full credit.  However I think this could be a good alternative for some of our current high school students who need additional classes required for graduation that we cannot provide or for those students who need enrichment or need to make up classes.  

Students are able to:

• work at their own pace (but within a timeframe which can be negotiated)
• be free of distractions from other students 
• use the latest technology to learn concepts
• participate in virtual tours of sites for authentic learning
• collaborate with other VLACS students online, to share materials and work on projects together

Restrictions include:

• Students must be under 21 years old while attending classes
• Cannot have earned a high school diploma
• Have not been expelled from a public school
• Out of state students are given access only after in state students have been placed

Other considerations include technology availability.  VLACS recommends that students have access to a high speed broadband Internet connection.  They also need to download Firefox browser and have access to Microsoft Office or Open Office software.  A modern computer with at least 1GB memory and 6GB of hard drive space is recommended as a minimum. Headphones and a microphone are also needed, as well as a removable disk media for saving work.  Windows Vista or Windows 7 OS is required, according to the website or Mac OS 10.4.9, but 10.6+ is highly recommended. Therefore the student's family or school needs to be able to supply the student with this technology.

VLACS also gives other schools a Partnership training, which helps teachers to navigate the course and communication systems, so they can help students in their schools who are taking classes with VLACS.  Teachers who take the partnership training are given access to their partnership website.

I think that virtual schools may be a great alternative for high school students who are not successful in traditional classrooms, because they are able to work independently, at their own pace, without distraction from other students, and receive 1-1 attention in all classes.  However, they need to be responsible and able to manage their time to complete course requirements within the allotted time. They also need the involvement of a parent or other mentor should be involved to help motivate and direct the students to ensure that they are taking advantage of this opportunity.  

References: VLACS [Website] Retrieved from: http://vlacs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178&Itemid=297
  

Do Virtual Schools have a Real Future?

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As a student in an online program, I don't know whether I should be criticizing virtual schools. But I wonder how beneficial they are especially to younger students.  I think those students need nurturing and socialization, which is part of the reason for going to school. They need teachers who can assist, observe and give immediate formative feedback to help them succeed. As Jason Boyers says in Online Done Right, "distributing information is not teaching" (2013). I cannot imagine children learning to read from a virtual school. In fact that was one of the comments from last week's discussions on libraries, that young children need to have limited screentime.

However at the high school level or beyond, virtual schools could be a good alternative for some students, especially when the distance to get to the school would be an inconvenience for the student. Some students just do not feel they fit in to the school environment. These students may thrive in a virtual environment, especially the more introverted students (Boyers, 2013), however they would have to be disciplined and able to focus on the task. Also I think that interaction and collaboration with peers in an essential piece, if it is done well.  I think the niche that these online schools has the most influence on is filling voids like credit recovery or offering classes that may not be available in the student's local school.  

At the adult level, MOOC's or online schools serve a variety of needs.  I am participating in a MOOC now to learn how to program Lego robots. Last summer I attended a MOOC (based at Harvard University) to learn programming with Scratch, which was attended by people all over the world.  But the one thing that I find consistent with all of the online courses or webinars that I have attended, is that they all have some level of interaction with the other learners and the teacher as well. The two MOOC's have utilized Google Groups or Google+. The Scratch Google+ community was a very dynamic way of interacting with other learners. The nature of the program and the online community within Scratch allowed people to ask questions of the community and share the link to their project with other learners, who could go in and modify their codes by remixing the project, but not changing the original scripts. They even had weekly "office hours" via Google Hangouts, where we could ask questions and see the education team's faces.  But it was nice to meet many of the participants face to face, including a woman who flew to Boston from Brazil, at a live symposium at the end of the course.  There were other things to learn about, that some knew better than others, so were able to demonstrate for the rest of us.  This is one of the things I have thought SNHU's online classes need to do better - use online tools that encourage collaboration and interaction between classmates.  In this class we have used Google Docs to collaborate a couple of times, but perhaps we could do more of this in other classes. 

There are two different virtual schools in New England, with different pricing models.  If you live in NH, VLACS Virtual Learning Academy offers free classes to residents.  The Virtual High School, charges between $300 per course and $3500 per year.  The question is is it worth the money?   Who pays for these courses, the students or the school?  What about students who cannot afford to pay for virtual classes?  Are taxpayers expected to fund brick and mortar schools and virtual schools as well?

I think that virtual schools have some alternatives to offer the students.  But we cannot sacrifice good pedagogy for the convenience of online learning. 


References:
Boyers, J. (2013).  Online done right, The importance of human interaction for student success. eLearn Magazine, September 2013. Retrieved from: http://elearnmag.acm.org/opinions.cfm?aid=2524201

In Defense of Libraries

EDU 641 - Module 8

When I was starting to work on this project, I went looking for images to use for my presentation in Simple Booklet.  I wasn't finding anything to my liking, so I searched for a picture of the town library where I grew up.  I was reminded that the beautiful old building was no longer the public library, since it had been moved to a bigger building many years ago. But it was interesting to find current photos of the building, which is now being used as a function hall.  I was pleased to see that it has not changed much, other than the lack of books and other library materials, the architecture is still the same, inside and out. Looking through those photos brought me back to a nostalgic time, when I loved to read and had the time. But even in the present, I see a need for library spaces.  In the school where I work, the media center is a favorite destination for most of the students.  It is a place to socialize, go online, do research, listen to music, watch movies, read ebooks, use iPads for reading and games, and even reading real books!  The kids still love to borrow books from the library and take them back to their classroom to read. 

The readings this week supported, in my mind, the need to keep "brick and mortar" libraries in schools.  I believe students in K-12 schools still need a place to go to get help from the Librarians or Media Specialists to navigate the research tools even more than in the past.  The Internet is a vast resource with accurate, but also a lot of inaccurate, information. I think a brick and mortar library with digital resources is the way to go.  Students need a place where they can browse through the books available.   As Liz Gray said, there are all different kinds of learners, so we need to have choices for them.


I go into more of this in my Simple Booklet.  Sorry but since this is a free account, they put ads in it.  This seemed like a great tool for creating ebooks, which can be shared via email, on social media sites and embedded in your blog or other HTML site. But I am having trouble getting the audio to work, which I saved for last.  I started this book 3 days agoso I don't want to redo the whole presentation!

This is the second time I have used this tool and the first time with audio, and I discovered it only accepts mp3, m4a and acc files, so my wma files, which I recorded first, did not work, so I had to go back and re-record them on my phone and then send the m4a files to my email and download then upload, but I still cannot get the audio to play, here or on the online version!  I have also attached audio files which I uploaded to Dropbox.  Simple Booklet didn't like Dropbox files, gave me an error message.  I linked to my Dropbox files below the book, so if you want to hear the audio, you can open the files along with the pages, you will just have to toggle back and forth between windows.   I was able to get it to come up on my phone and play the audio by clicking play buttons, and swipe to change pages.  To get it on a mobile device, snap the QR code below the book.

simplebooklet.com Audio files:    Cover Page     Page 1     Page 2     Page 3    Last Page

Technology Use by Generation

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Here is a timeline I created on TimeToast on the history of communication technology. In case it doesn't play here, here is a link to the live timeline.

I could not figure out how to put the generational data into the timeline. So I made an infographic of the data, using Piktochart.  It was a bit of a learning curve and not easy to use, a bit clunky, but after a few hours it seemed easier. I also could not get rid of the logo graphic at the top left that was on the theme I used. I re-created everything else, so I should have started with a blank page.  I needed to import some pictures.  I was using the free account, maybe the paid account would have more icons.  I was trying to fit everything in a confined space, because that is all I could see on the interface, but then at some point it suddenly expanded. It might look better if you can zoom in some. If you drag your cursor over the graphics, the numbers (data) appear!  If you need the link to the chart online it is here. I also just noticed that you can view the infographic in presentation mode by clicking on the icon on the top of the webpage that says Enter Presentation mode, it's very cool!

The data for the chart is here.  Most of the data was obtained from Pew Internet Research.  I found that some of the data was conflicting and repetitive due to it coming from different years.  Also sometimes the age categories overlapped, so it was hard to separate into the exact age groups that we were given. I could not find any information on numbers of email messages per generation.  But I found some other interesting information.  The thing that I found most interesting is the number of teens that have their own cell phones.  But was not able to get SMS info or device ownership for Generation @.

Realtime Board

Mike,

It was bugging me that you couldn't make the board flow, like in Prezi.  So I was playing with it and I found that you can, by taking snapshots of each slide by zooming in and using the camera icon.  Click on the movie screen button and the other buttons will appear below it.  You have to drag and zoom in on each slide then shoot by clicking the camera. Then you will see a number on each shot. See diagram below.  The arrow to the right of the camera takes you to full screen and you will see the advance slide buttons at the bottom of the screen, or you can test it using the left and right arrows to the left of the camera.

I am not sure what the purpose of the gray arrows are for, which I got by clicking on the diagram button next to the undo button at the bottom of the screen, unless they are just for planning?

Here's the resulting slideshow.  It is just a test so I didn't do all of the slides. Hope this helps.

Technology Configurations

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We were asked to come up with five activities and look at how they would fit into five different classroom technology configurations, noting issues that may be voiced by the classroom teacher and come up with solutions to those issues. 

I chose to use VoiceThread to present my issues, rather than writing them out as that seemed like it would be just a bunch of boring text.  I also wanted to try using VoiceThread again.  You can also comment using a microphone, phone or webcam or typing in text on the slide margins.  

I created my slides on the activities on Google Presentations, thinking I could import them into VoiceThread, although I found that VoiceThread didn't talk to Google!  So I downloaded the Google Presentation to PowerPoint and then uploaded that to VoiceThread.  

So here is the VoiceThread

And here is a link to my  VoiceThread, in case the embedded file doesn't work, or if you want to see it in full screen.

Also here is a link to my Google Presentation, so that you can access the links to the lesson plans.  However this presentation only has the activities slides, it does not include the discussion on the issues. That is in the VoiceThread.  Hope you find this interesting.

Analyzing Data

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Data analysis of the 10 test questions shows that half of the class scored 60% or lower, with two students scoring 30%, while the other half of the students scored in the 70-80% and one at 90%.  It is possible that the lowest tier are students with disabilities.   The weakest area for the class as a whole (based on one question) is in computing fractions and decimals, although the student who scored 90% also got this one wrong, so it might have been a badly worded question.  The other 2 lowest scoring questions are in computing area and perimeter of polygons and identifying patterns.

The Google spreadsheet does allow for highlighting areas based on certain parameters, using the conditional formatting.  I had used Excel quite a bit in the past and never noticed that this feature exists.  I did have a learning curve on using Google spreadsheets as I had not used it before. I had to try entering formulas in Excel and then translate them into Google at first, but then got the hang of Google spreadsheets after a bit, but it is quite different.  I used -1 to delineate incorrect answers, as I knew that Excel would display negative numbers as red, when formatted, but Google left the negatives in, which is okay.  I did think the charting function was easier to use in Google, as it doesn't have all of the options Excel has so it is more straightforward.

I wanted to try Zoho, but didn't have time to learn how to use it (hmm...) and figure out how to compute the data, but would like to go back and try it later.

I have used Excel to compute grades and credit hours and could also use Google spreadsheets.  I have used it with students to create graphs.

Google Spreadsheet

Presentation Module 4-2

Strategies to Promote New Technology Use

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        One strategy I have tried to use is to share webinars with teachers.  I would sign up for a webinar from SimpleK12 or edmodocon and invite them to come to my classroom and watch the webinar on the IWB or on the movie screen in the media center's presentation room.  I scheduled these for lunchtime or after school on a day which we didn't already have another meeting.  Well, lunchtime is difficult (even though we get an hour! unless of course we are working through lunch).  A lot of the teachers, at the special education school where I work, end up eating with their class most of the time, as most of the students need a lot of support and the teacher needs to be there to help the paraprofessionals.  The only times they do not is when they have an IEP or other meeting.  After school is hard too.  If we are not in a mandatory staff or committee meeting, the teachers need to prepare lessons for the next day, clean up their room, have phone conferences with parents and other tasks.

A strategy that did work, though, other than meeting one to one with individual teachers, was to show them what could be done by sharing a video of the tool in action. The best way I have found to do that, if not in person, is to send a video via email.  Many tools have links to videos showing how they work. usually on YouTube.  That has had some positive results. Case in point: I recently sent out a video about using Skype to interface with another class somewhere in the world and play a game called Mystery Skype, to guess where the other class was from. The students use their geography knowledge and the Internet to look up clues and use online maps to narrow down the location. I have a couple of teachers who were very interested in it.  Now we are just looking for an appropriate class to interface with. 

Photo credits: 

Tomkins, C. (2012). Social Media Marketing and Gourmet Cooking With The Social Media Chef, Chris Tompkins. Social Media Marketing and Gourmet Cooking With The Social Media Chef, Chris Tompkins. April 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://servedfreshmedia.com/2012/04/no-time-for-marketing-heres-how-to-make-time/

The Writing Center at MSU. (10/2012). The Writing Center at MSU. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://writing.msu.edu

Scenarios

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Consider the following scenarios:

Scenario One: Upon walking into the classroom of a new eighth grade English 
language arts (ELA) teacher, the teacher informs you that she will be teaching a 
lesson on fate versus free will the following week. She plans on using excerpts from 
Oedipus Rex and Dante’s Inferno. She has not put the lesson plan together yet but 
intends to have the students present examples from the readings to support their 
case through a persuasive essay.

• I'm not familiar with either of the books, so I am not sure what the teacher is looking for, but to work on a persuasive essay, I would suggest doing a class blog, where students contribute posts for their essay. They can discuss via the comments area for each essay.

• Or, maybe the teacher could put together a webquest, which explains the elements of a persuasive essay and gives examples of them via websites or blogs.  The tech integrator would help the teacher to set up the webquest on a website or a page on the blog site. 

     Either way a rubric would be needed to identify the criteria for a good persuasive essay.


Scenario Two: 

A high school science teacher is presenting a unit on astronomy, 
specifically on how Polaris is no longer the central point of the northern sky. The 
teacher is confident that he can teach it out of a book but is anxious to give the 
students a better experience from the lesson. He is hoping that the technology 
integration specialist will be able to help make a more authentic study for the 
students.

• Google Sky

Scenario Three: 

In a fourth grade social studies class, the class is discussing the 
role of landscape and surroundings on early natives—what type of food they ate, the 
type of dwellings they built, and of course defensive systems or escape routes. Many 
of the students have never traveled out of their own state and are not familiar with 
alternate surroundings. The social studies teacher has requested that the technology 
integrator help her create a new lesson.

• Use Google Earth to visit the different areas and see the landforms.  There are also some 3-D tours of monuments and historic buildings.  

Scenario Four: 

According to the math teacher, math is everywhere. The teacher is 
concentrating on a geometry unit discussing area and volume. The teacher is hoping 
to have the students design a home consisting of 1500 square feet of living space 
with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a family room, and a kitchen. A playroom or 
dining room are nice to have but are not needed. In the past, the teacher has asked 
the students to draw it out with paper and pencil; however, this proved to be a poor 
choice for reasons he has not given. The teacher is currently thinking of using craft 
sticks and glue to have the students build models, but this does not fall within the 
budget. The teacher is turning to the technology integrator for help.

• My first thought was a CAD program, but if that was not available and no budget for it, maybe they could use Excel (or Google spreadsheets) to map out the blueprint, using the spreadsheet cells as units of measure. 

Motivating Teachers to Use Technology

Module 2-5

As I said in a previous post, I think Kim Cofino describes it best when she talks about how two heads are better than one when the technology integrator and the teacher "combine their strengths, share responsibilities, and learn from each other" (Cofino, 2010).  As Cofino says, you have to plant the seeds of technology usage and watch them grow slowly.  We cannot rush in and expect teachers to change their ways overnight.  There are many examples of successes and reasons to use technology, which can be shared with teachers.

Conrad Wolfram's Ted Talk is also very inspiring.  He makes the claim very well that we need to use modern methods to teach modern students and give them real world tools.  I think that showing this video to teachers may spark the idea that technology is necessary in education. His theory that students can learn better using computers is backed up by Marc Prensky's article on how digital citizens think, in which he talks about research in neurobiology that proves that stimulation of the brain while using computers and video games "actually changes brain structures and affects the way people think, and that these transformations go on throughout life" (Prensky, 2001). The premise of this article is that students are motivated by technology and find it easier to focus their attention when the material is in digital format. This theory is reiterated in this article on Classroom 2.0: Game Theory and Education.

Shaun McCusker illustrates Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences in his recent Edudemic article where he cites a how a student created a song to show his understanding of a the ideas created by the Industrial Revolution.  McCusker says that technology gives students "exciting and powerful tools" with which to create.  Students can choose music, video, artistic and writing projects that are aided by using technology.  

In the Edutopia article, World without Walls: Learning Well with Others, Will Richardson points our many examples of kids learning from others via the Internet, using Skype, etc.  But he also makes the case for teachers to become connected and learn from each other.  Showing teachers how sites such as Classroom 2.0, or Edutopia or Twitter can expand their knowledge on subjects from literacy to social studies as well as technology.  Maybe by seeing how their personal learning networks inspire them, they will translate that to encouraging their students to use technology to learn.  There are many other articles, videos and websites which we can use to sew the seeds of technology integration acceptance, slowly and one step at a time.

References:

Cofino, K. (2010, March 20). Creating a Culture of Collaboration Through Technology Integration | always learning.Kim Cofino. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from http://kimcofino.com/blog/2010/03/20/creating-a-culture-of-collaboration-through-technology-integration/

Cofino, K. (2008, October 12). Planting Seeds | always learning. Kim Cofino. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from http://kimcofino.com/blog/2008/10/12/planting-seeds/

Education "The times are a changing" - YouTube. (2009, September 30).YouTube. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyrP_HhWEg

McCusker, S. (2013, September 10). 4 Ways to Ensure Students Learn While Creating - Edudemic - Edudemic.Edudemic - Education Technology Tips For Students And Teachers. Retrieved September 29, 2013, from http://www.edudemic.com/learn-while-creating/

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital native, digital immigrants, Part 2: Do they really think differently?  On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 6, December 2001. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part2.pdf

Richardson, W. (2008, December 3). World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others | Edutopia. Edutopia | K-12 Education & Learning Innovations with Proven Strategies that Work. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-will-richardson

Wolfram, C. (2010, July 1). Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | Video on TED.com. TED: Ideas worth spreading. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.ted.com/talks/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers.html


Woodside, C. (2008, October 23). Game Theory and Education: The Great Merge - Classroom 2.0. Classroom 2.0. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:203702

Teaching Kids "Real Math", and Writing and Social Studies and...

Conrad Wolfram's TED Talk addresses the problems with decreasing math proficiency in schools today and suggests that the cure to the problem is to use computers to teach math.  He claims that schools put too much emphasis on calculating by hand.  He says that computers were created to do calculations and that doing hand calculations is an ancient subject.  His argument is that in the real world engineers and others use computers to do mathematical calculations.

We should be teaching students to do things they way they are done in real life. They need to learn skills that they will utilize in their future lives. As Wolfram says, the best way to solve a problem is to use the right tool for the job.  I think what he says about math can apply to any subject.  When teaching writing, whether it be creative or persuasive writing, why make kids use paper and pen instead of using a computer.  When they get out of school, if they get a job working in an environment where communication is done by computer, they are going to need to be able to communicate electronically, and I don't mean via texting.  Computers can do the menial tasks, like spell checking, so that the students can focus on the task of formulating their ideas and getting their point across to the reader.  With applications like Dragon, Kurzweil, or Text Help, students can work on getting to the point of their writing, rather than the mechanics of spelling the words.

Yes, these are assistive technologies, but some people need assistance.  I like to compare the use of technology to assist people with difficulties to wearing glasses to see.  Would you say that the person wearing glasses has an advantage or is cheating?  Maybe in Ben Franklin's day that might have been the discussion, but we are living in the 21st century now.

The same could be said for social studies, or science or economics.  Why learn about other countries from a book, when you could connect and collaborate with students from another country via Skype?  There are lots of sites with economic information (like the US Debt Clock) or science simulations. This is authentic learning!

References: 

Wolfram, C. (2010, July). Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | Video on TED.com. TED: Ideas worth spreading. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.ted.com/talks/conrad_wolfram

Motivation and Technology Integration

Module 2-1

I think as Kim Cofino describes it, some teachers need to be coaxed into using technology one step at a time.  There are steps in the process, collaboration, coaching, mentoring, which help motivate the novice to continue to learn and become more proficient and independent over time.  If they are willing to take the first step and trust the technology mentor.  But, as Kim says, two heads are better than one and teachers should welcome the help, to take some weight off their own shoulders.  I believe teachers want to collaborate with other teachers and mentors, but they just need to find the time. 

Photo: Mabry Middle School

We need to make it easier and show them how much easier it will be using technology.  They need to see how readily their students take to technology embedded projects rather than boring worksheets.  There are many examples of student achievement using technology to excel, like the Mabry Middle School Film Festival in 2007.

As always, there will be the ones that step up to the plate early and then the others will follow.  Those of us who implement technology in our lessons must lead by example.  In this connected educator month, we should try to connect with at least one other teacher and share something that will motivate them to want more.


References:

Cofino, K. (2010). Creating a Culture of Collaboration Through Technology Integration. Always learning. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://kimcofino.com/blog/2010/03/20/creating-a-culture-of-collaboration-through-technology-integration/

Jacobs, H. H. (2010). Making learning irresistible: Extending the journey of Mabry Middle School. Curriculum 21 essential education for a changing world. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Challenges of Serving Different Communities

Week 1 Discussion 1

• How does working with the public, school board, administration, and teaching staff differ from working with students?
• What are the potential challenges a technology integrator faces from school communities?
• What do you believe are the best strategies for tackling these challenges?

As a technology integrator/technology teacher, I work with both students and teachers as well as with administrators.  Working with students is a little more straightforward.  They are there to do the assignments, most of the time. They are usually waiting for the teacher to tell them what to do.  Not that there aren't some students who struggle, but most take the assignment and run with it.  They are like open vessels ready to be filled.  They are also "digital natives", as Marc Prensky calls them, used to working with technology, so they are not afraid to use it. 

Teachers, on the other hand, in many cases are not used to using technology in their practice.  They already have plenty to do, between planning lessons, keeping up with curriculum standards, assessing student performance, writing IEP's, communicating with parents, among other things.  There is not enough professional development for teachers on using technology in their lessons.  (Morehead and Labeau, 2005).  Also, with the frequent changes in software products, it is difficult for teachers to keep up and relearn new revisions. There is not enough funding to implement technology across the board anyway. Teachers do not want to train to learn how to use technology when they know the technology will be limited and if they cannot use it regularly, they will forget what they have learned.  There is often not a lot of support from the administration as well, as they are too involved with policy and day to day operations of the school.  If it is not mandated from the top, it is hard to get teachers to change the way they have been used to doing things.   Their time is also driven by high stakes testing concerns, or putting together alternative testing artifacts.  

As a fairly new technology integrator, I see these things daily.  I see the pressure that teachers are under, mostly from not having enough time in the day, but also due to staff being out sick, therefore the teachers fill in for them, as most of the students need 1-1 assistance in our school. They even eat with the kids. Their students are all going in different directions, most working on different programs.  Also, most teachers do not appreciate other people coming in and telling them what they should be doing, especially with all of the concerns they have to deal with. They would rather send the students to me to teach them how to use the technology, but that does not allow for transfer of the knowledge to the teachers. 

Camera Mouse Alternative Tech

One of the ways I try to help integrate technology is to work with the kids to get them familiar with it, so when their teachers are ready to implement it, the kids will be ready. But because I work in a school for students that are all on individual educational plans, it is easier to justify working on skills that the individual students need to focus on, using technology and alternative technologies as needed, a real differentiated education.  Usually the students' 1-1 paraprofessionals will come with them and I can show them how to use the technology with the students. But in the public schools, that would not be an option.  I am trying to go into the classes and observe and then recommend ideas that the teachers could use.  I also try to share ideas with them during teacher meetings when there is time, or in informal discussions, and via email. I research and find apps for their students' iPads based on needs and then show them how to use them.  I believe that administrators need to encourage teachers to use more technology, but the budgets also need to be funded to pay for the professional development and materials to implement the use of technology.  

References:

Morehead, P. and LaBeau, B. (2005).  The continuing challenges of technology integration for teachers. Essays in Education Online, Vol 15, fall, 2005. University of South Carolina.

No author. (No date).  Identifying challenges to technology integration in math instruction. Center for Implementing Technology in Education. Retrieved from:
http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=117