More Tech Tools!

Summary: This is basically a list of websites that can be used in the classroom, such as a fake text screenshot, awesome Pinterest boards, ideas for Twitter in the classroom, and many more.

Response: I was unable to find some of these, but some of them are awesome! I love the idea of using fake screen shots to teach digital citizenship.  It would be so easy to replicate a conversation and show students the repercussions of having a conversation that they probably shouldn't be having via text.  Also, I think the 10 x 10 thing is VERY cool.  I love that it's in no way controlled by a person--it's all about what's trending news-wise on the web.  This is a great way to find current events for discussion!  One more thing I'd never seen--using Pinterest for amazing educational resources!  I see a few ideas every once in a while, but this article showed a few great ones.  I spent a considerable amount of time on Pinterest after reading this article, and I might even start taking it seriously as a educational resource.  Unfortunately, the Larry Ferlazzo page couldn't be found.  The Twitter feed of WWII is incredible, and I think I might use the model shown by Mr. Collinson, the author of that particular feed, in my language arts classroom.  Students could pretend to be tweeting a major scene in a play as the characters themselves, for instance. Overall, this is just one more list of resources for us to use!

Opinion: This probably wasn't my favorite article, but it's useful.  I'm saving it for future use.  I don't have a smartphone or an iPad, so the QR code generator wasn't terribly exciting for me.  Also, a lot of these were science- and math-related, which doesn't really pertain to me.  My favorite site is the Twitter reenactment of WWII.  This is amazing, and it gives an example of a great use of social media in the classroom.  I think something like this could get a lot of schools on board for using Twitter in schools.

Why Can't the iPad Do EVERYTHING?

Summary:

            This article discusses the practicality and potential for iPad use in the classroom.  It asks what the iPad can do that we cannot do on our own, and wonders if this piece of hardware will really revolutionize teaching and learning.

Response:

            When I first saw the iPad, some late night talk show host was doing some bit about maxi pads, which was annoying.  However, after I looked into the product, I didn’t hold it in a much higher regard.  I wondered what I’d do with a computer screen without a keyboard that, in my opinion, I would very easily break.  Later I grew to appreciate their portability at the very least.  After we started the app of the day for tech class, I started to see how iPad applications might make my job a little easier.  My classmates have shown me apps that can help with attendance and data entry for formative assessments.  That alone would save me hours, if not days, throughout the entire school year.  Sure, I could probably do most of what the iPad can do on a browser or with pen and paper, but an efficient, time-saving app would make my life slightly less stressful.

Also, this article really ragged on the fact that the apps for students are mostly content drill-and-skill.  I can see that in some cases, but the example the authors used was: “ABD phonics functions much like traditional flashcards with the added benefit of having audio and phonetic representations of words to be learned.”  To me, this seems like multi-modal presentation of data.  It might be more effective to have students create representations of data on their own, but three different methods of word representation are bound to be more effective than the traditional flashcard.    

And I don’t feel as if this article did justice to the collaboration that can happen through iPads.  The authors point out that we need to consider how students learn today, and we should move away from basic behavioral models of teaching.  I feel as if technology could help us do so with collaboration on a small or even large scale.

As far as potential, I agree with this article—things could almost always be better.  At this point, I see the iPad as a tool, not a classroom-transforming magic mirror.  Still, I’ll take all the tools I can get.  These applications, and technology in general, have the potential to help my classroom run more smoothly.  

Opinion:

            There are a few things that irritated me about this article.  I absolutely despise arguments that make no sense from people who are opposed to something and can’t seem to think of a better reason why: “There is also a growing sense that game and gaming devices such as XBox, PSP and Wii are being considered viable learning technologies in K-12 settings.”   I didn’t see an example or a citation for this bit of information.  I could see someone completely opposed to technology in the classroom reading that and thinking, “Oh, great.  First, it’s that iPad.  Next they’ll be playing video games and killing things in class.”  It reminds me of gay marriage opponents: “Next thing you know, we’ll all be marrying goats.”  Wait, what?  I respect your opinion, but please give me something more sensible than that.

            Efficiency is sometimes a lifesaver.  Yes, we could write all of this down rather than typing it.  Yes, there is an analog version of writing.  But aren’t we creating more because we’re creating faster?  I’m not saying that more is always better; I’m saying that more time sometimes leads to more elaborate creations, or complex thoughts, or deeper meaning.  I understand WHY the authors asked what they asked (what can we do with this giant iPod Touch that we couldn’t do already?), but I don’t think that’s the question I would have asked as an educator. 

I do appreciate that they bring up the cost- and waste-effective benefits of the iPad, as I believe that’s a great thing to consider when pondering the uses of technology. 

            Another quote that bugged me a little: “We cannot point to a single application that steps up to modern understandings of how people learn.”  The tools aren’t supposed to do the teaching; we’re the teachers!  We should have that understanding and use the tools to help our 21^st-century learners.  I’ve never been given a tool that teaches a lesson for me.  I’ve been given materials and ideas, but questioning and true instruction come from the teacher’s knowledge of content and student need.  Again, I feel like this article was sometimes asking the wrong questions and approaching the usefulness of the iPad in the wrong way. 

            Anyhow, I’ve been typing for a really long time now—lit review revision day.  I hope that entry made sense!  Have a terrific Tuesday evening!

Online Classes With Collaboration? Impossible!

Summary

“Learning Everywhere, All the Time” gives teachers, specifically instructors of online courses, great tips regarding how to teach a course online effectively.  The author also encourages teachers to make sure that they are creating a classroom community, even without the benefit of face-to-face meetings.  She asserts that connections between students and teachers as well as between students are a crucial element in online instruction.

Response to article

            This article seems to be highlighting many ideas and tips that we’ve received from professors and teachers about effective instruction.  Cook uses terms and ideas we use almost every day in our CADRE classes: “good online teachers know how to connect to their students, how to differentiate instruction, and how to design a course to meet the social, emotional, and learning needs of their students” (Cook 2012).  From what I’ve heard about online courses, having never taken one myself, most professors don’t take the time to show their personalities or learn about those of their students through activities other than assigned work.  This part of the article seemed like a no-brainer to me, but many college professors would benefit from reading about effective teaching strategies such as differentiation and connecting to students. 

            Cook also emphasizes the idea of continuing the learning process in a very collaborative way outside class meetings.  I love this!  Many online courses offer a recorded lecture, Powerpoints, a syllabus, and assignment expectations.  These are really the bare bones of a class.  Without interaction, learning is not as effective or as exciting, which is why I never wanted to participate in an online class.  Cook offers many ideas for connecting students, such as collaborative websites like Skype and Google Plus.  This encourages thought and connectivity outside of what’s videotaped in the professor’s lecture.  When I thought of online classes as a kid, I always imagined they would be like a sci-fi movie: students are still seated together in some sort of classroom, while a hologram of a teacher gives the lecture and answers questions.  The ideas for interaction that Cook proposes in this article provide an environment that would have almost the same effect, though not as Star Wars-esque: the teacher would have a presence within the online class and would strive to fuel discussion, even without a hologram.  

            Based on what we’ve been talking about in Effective Teaching Practices with Ryan and Riewer, Cook seems to be on the right track.  Providing avenues for connectivity allows students to process information and apply it, evaluate it, and synthesize it, rather than just learn and regurgitate knowledge for a finite amount of time before forgetting it.  Cook’s advice could apply to both the online classroom and our own classrooms.  We could provide resources such as Google Docs or Google Hangout (on Google Plus; this depends on parent permission and student age, as well as the way you would use it) to our students so that they could discuss reading or group projects outside of class and learn from one another’s perspective. 

My opinion

            I still don’t think I’d enjoy an online class as much as an actual meeting, but I like the ideas that Cook puts forth to encourage students to connect with one another without ever meeting in person.  Also, she echoes the thoughts spoken by Dan Brown, a former University of Nebraska student with a YouTube channel.  Jodie posted a video of his on Twitter recently, and I definitely think his ideas connect with Cook’s.  It’s called “An Open Letter to Educators”, and here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2PGGeTOA4&feature=youtu.be

Once you get past his semi-obnoxious manner of speaking and emphasizing his points, he has a great message.  He reminds us that today, knowledge is at our students’ fingertips.  A teacher’s job has gone from dissemination of knowledge to helping students make sense of what they’re learning. 

            I think most of us have recognized this.  Our lesson objective probably doesn’t ever read: Today, my students will be able to take the definitions of processes or terms they’ve written on their notes and regurgitate them for credit on a test.  We want our students to show understanding!  This doesn’t mean we can’t ask, “What’s a powerful quote from this poem/speech/story?”  This DOES mean that we can ask afterwards, “How do you know?  What kind of tone was the author using based on the word choice?  How does this quote relate to the overall meaning of the poem/speech/story?”  Not every child will have the same answer, and that’s great.  However, if students aren’t interacting with one another or the instructor, they won’t have the benefit of another’s perspective.  Connectivity is SO IMPORTANT, and it’s what makes learning difficult, frustrating, diverse, and fun!

Seriously, How Scary IS Technology? Proactive vs. Reactive Approaches

Summary of “Digital Citizenship: It Takes a Village” by Randy Hollandsworth, Lena Dowdy, and Judy Donovan

This article addresses the issue of digital citizenship, which it defines as using the internet and other technology appropriately and in a fashion that will lead to deeper understanding rather than shallow exploration (Hollandsworth, Dowdy, Donovan 2011).  The article goes on to discuss who is involved in this “village” that should be teaching children about digital citizenship and how we can go about educating children about appropriate use of technology.

Response to the Article

This article applies directly to what’s happening in schools in our area right now.  First of all, there’s definitely discord when it comes to which districts and age levels have access to which technology tools.  Some schools allow cell phones, while others do not.  Some schools have completely banned YouTube; some allow teachers to use YouTube for educational purposes.  It seems as if policies in most districts are fairly reactionary—teachers and parents see negative messages about the internet and other forms of technology in the media and are reluctant to allow student access to sites that could be harmful to students. 

When I student taught, one of the teachers on my team incorporated technology into many of his lessons; unfortunately, he didn’t prepare the students’ parents for the technology their children would be using.  When a student told her mother that she had been asked to create a Google account in order to share her essay on Google Docs, her mother was concerned.  What kind of information did her daughter have to share with Google to participate in this website?  Why hadn’t she been informed that her daughter’s information would be used to create an account?  Though the information Google requires for signup is fairly benign, the fact that this teacher didn’t inform parents of what type of technology he was using set him up for hostility and problems from cautious parents such as this mom.  A proactive approach would have anticipated questions such as these and addressed them BEFORE it became a problem.

On a positive note, I will say that I’ve seen training on good character and anti-bullying messages in several of the schools I’ve visited. If this is something that’s already going on during advisory periods or homeroom at Papillion South, it doesn’t seem as if it would be too difficult to apply community citizenship strategies and lessons to digital citizenship.  Also, I believe that my curriculum includes discussion of copyright and what it means to steal someone else’s property, either digital or intellectual.  At least a few of the ideas mentioned in this article are being addressed in some fashion within Papillion South, which is good to know.

My opinion

This article addresses an issue that I worry about in regard to my students—negative or hurtful messages that they receive on the internet or on their cell phones.  This brings a few questions to mind for my district: how much are we responsible for?  If students are sending one another hurtful messages from home, how do we handle these issues at school?  Is cyber bullying something that we address in homeroom workshops or something of that nature?  I’d like to know if my school is proactive rather than reactive.  As much as we teach about the effects that bullying can have on others, students still pick on one another.  Technology gives them another means of doing so.  How do we plan to address digital citizenship when it comes to communications with peers?  I don’t think that we should ban technology or cell phones altogether because that seems an awful lot like a bunch of educators ignoring a problem that’s going to persist whether we choose to see it or not.

I really enjoyed this article.  Technology is a hot topic for many districts, but I feel as if the conversation is sometimes taken in the wrong direction.  In most discussion that I hear regarding technology in the classroom, teachers, parents, administrators or students often address specific websites or the fairness of technology bans.  This article takes an approach that I really appreciate: the technology isn’t going anywhere!  Why would we take these tools away?  Our TRUE responsibility as educators is to show our students how to use the amazing resources that technology can provide in a respectful manner.

I also thought the article made an interesting point about the connection between what we teach and our state standards.  A survey respondent told the authors of this article that “Digital citizenship is not very well addressed because it is not tested as a state standard” (Hollandsworth, Dowdy, Donovan 2011).  This is a little disconcerting.  State standards are obviously important, but it’s also important to recognize student needs outside of what shows up on tests.  The surveys throughout the article showed that teachers and administrators are in favor of education in digital citizenship.  I believe that if we see an area of concern for our students, we should address it regardless of what shows up on tests.  Obviously this is would be difficult, as our year is jam-packed with curriculum requirements, but this is also a reason for educators to speak up to administrators about what we believe our students need.  We’re not trained to be fearful of change, and our students certainly aren’t afraid of learning new things when it comes to technology.  Now I’m really hoping there’s some kind of digital citizenship curriculum in Papillion!