Vision - Technology in Education

I believe that Technology has had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on education.  The innovations in technology have been changing the way that teachers teach and students learn.  Technology has provided students with new opportunities to learn and also has defined how they learn.  Technology is having a positive impact on how material is presented to today’s learner.  It is enabling different styles of teaching, changing curricula and spawning rich forms of online exploration and collaboration.  Online learning is growing at a rapid pace as well.  The technologies we know now will change and may even come together at a progressively fast pace.

What it will mean to be an educated person in the 21st century?  This is a question that may not be able to be answered at this time, but schools need to improve their teaching methods to include technology so it prepares today’s students for the workforce that is using the latest technology.  These technological changes will change the skills and knowledge base of today’s learners and what will be the future workforce.  These changes will have a significant effect on education.  Over the next several years, more improved technologies will allow greater specialization in curriculum and teaching methodologies than ever before.  Technology has improved education and given rise to a generation of students who have never known life without a computer or the internet.  Technology can be such a useful tool in teaching.  Having teachers use technology will benefit them if we want students to understand and retain the information. 

The use of technology in school classrooms has evolved throughout the years, and has become revolutionary in changing the way we teach and learn. Our classrooms should no longer be confined to four walls and a few teachers who are considered to be experts in knowledge. Our classrooms need to keep up with a changing society and a new world that is dependent on technology. As students graduate, they need the technological skills needed to thrive in a world in which technology sets the pace.  Society expects the school system to produce functional citizens who have the skills to gain profitable employment, and not be a drain on the system.

In less than a decade, computer use progressed from programming classes for a few of the better students, to literacy classes for all students, to the integration of computers and other technologies into the curriculum. Now, there is a goal for educators to use technology as a tool in efforts to teach more effectively by using a variety of strategies to meet different needs in a diverse classroom. This will take training and commitment to keep up in the areas that change quickly, but the benefits to teachers and students are greater than the effort it will take to stay informed; computers increase productivity of students and make learning a fun experience. They help students become better problem-solvers instead of just rote learners.  This goal must be achieved by educators and will be extremely important in the next several years as education changes dramatically.

The use of technology in the classroom is changing the way that the role of the teacher is viewed.  Teachers have always selected the materials that students are to study, and then they present the material, and then give tests to evaluate how much the students have learned.  The teacher plays the role of an expert in the classroom as all learning decisions are made for the students.  Computers and other technological devices have supported a trend where teachers are viewed as motivators, challengers and critics as students lead the way and choose what they want to learn.  The teacher becomes a different kind of leader as the student takes on responsibility for his or her own learning.  Students are now experimenting in simulated worlds that are realistic; students learn first-hand about the consequences of wrong decisions and are becoming strong in solving problems.  We are living in a changing world and our schools must keep up.  Rote learning is no longer enough; students need more to have a successful life in a technological world.  The importance of technology in learning should never be disregarded, and it should be available to all students.

Teachers in the future will probably play more of a facilitator role rather than the expert transferring all of the knowledge.  The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is constantly challenging us to reconsider our roles as educators.  Learning will improve if teachers accept the fact that their students may learn in a different fashion than traditional learning and use the current technology to create opportunities for learning.  Teachers now and in the future have to realize that this generation, and future generations of learners need to be stimulated and would benefit from using technology to engage them while learning the material.  In the future, people will expect to be able to work, learn, and train whenever and wherever they want.

Today’s generation of students have grown up with technology all around them and have absorbed information using these technologies.  The result of this constant contact with technology has caused the younger generation to think and learn differently from the older generations.  This generation of learners is digitally stimulated and learns in different ways.  It is our responsibility as educators to realize that if our students know, use, and learn with this technology, we should be implementing it into our classrooms.  Our students definitely absorb information differently than generations before them.  Today’s technology has provided them with instant access to information by clicking a few buttons and it is readily available to them.  It is everywhere in today’s society and the younger generation has a need to use it constantly.  It is their main form of communication.  Educators need to bridge the gap between themselves, and what they know about the technology, and the students and their knowledge of technology.  Teachers need to accept technology and learn how it can enhance their curriculum and improve student learning at the same time.  This blending of both worlds will result in a more engaged learner.

Most people would admit that the technologies that exist today are far better than in the past.  The technology should not drive the curriculum, but it should complement it.  Our students definitely absorb information differently than generations before them.  There will be a larger amount of different types of technology available and used in the classroom over the next decade. 

 
I believe that students today have a need for technology and learn in a different way than previous generations due to changes in technology.  I feel that students can still learn in the same way that previous learners have, but the methods don’t have to be the same all the time.  A consistent blend of traditional and technology-enhanced learning is possible.  Today’s generation of students have always had the technology readily available to them, so they don’t really know a different way to access information and use it to increase their knowledge.  Our roles as educators are always changing.  The content may stay relatively the same, but how it is communicated to the students will have to continue to be evaluated and changed so they can be engaged and still be able to process the information.  If how they learn is changing, our role as educators needs to change so the learner benefits.  The ability to share information is instantaneous in today’s technologically rich world.  Education needs to embrace these different forms of technology and use them to increase student involvement, change the way students absorb information, and to improve the overall learning environment for the student.

Online Solution for Microsoft Office

ThinkFree has a word processor component called Write, a spreadsheet component called Calc and presentation software component called Show.  They are all compatible with the Microsoft Office programs.  This free online software is a great substitute for students who may not have one or all of the Microsoft programs at home to use for school work.  As a teacher, you can feel comfortable assigning a research paper, PowerPoint project or even a Science lab write-up using a spreadsheet by allowing students to start their projects in school on our computers that have the Microsoft Office suite.  Students will be able to complete these types of projects (and more) at home with online solutions such as ThinkFree.  And remember, it is 100% compatible with Microsoft Office.

A Paperless Class

Are paperless classes a reality?  I think they can be.  There are many colleges and universities moving towards paperless classes and for more than just the reason of saving money on books and other printed materials.  Just because the class is paperless doesn’t mean everything is online.  The class can still meet and face-to-face teaching and learning can still occur.  This method of organizing a class can allow the students’ work to be more interactive and include links to websites, graphics, and sound clips.  Teachers can correct or make comments to their written work using the Comment feature in Microsoft Word or other online editing features.  I think the teacher can still teach and would have to plan ahead and have all of the materials organized in a readable format for the students to be able to access at any time.  The online communication piece may be a learning experience for a teacher.  If they are using a site like Blackboard or Moodle, etc. the teacher would have to learn how to use these technologies comfortably before the class begins.  Students would have access to the material all of the time which would be very beneficial to them to have that flexibility.  I feel that the students would have more involvement in the course if they were able to access and publish work online during a class.  I don’t think having a paperless class diminishes the learning environment.  I think it promotes it and involves the students more.  This type of classroom can blend both online learning and the traditional classroom setting environment and can be successful in doing so.  As students are involved in this type of classroom, they not only improve their comfort level, but they expand their collaborations with others and build their own learning networks.  It provides them with a unique learning opportunity which I believe is going to become even more common in the next few years.

Here is a link to Melanie Wiscount's website - I saw a presentation by her at the 2012 PETE&C Conference in Hershey, PA.  She runs a paperless class: 

http://www.melaniewiscount.com/

Big Shifts

One of the “big shifts” written by Will Richardson is “Many, Many teachers and 24/7 Learning.”  This is defined as a major change in education due in large part to the internet and the Web 2.0 technologies that exist today.  Teachers today have far more access to other teachers and content area experts from around the world because of technology.  A teacher can be more collaborative with these people and bring them into their classrooms for students to gain knowledge from.  Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, video conferences, Skype all contribute to a teacher’s ability to communicate with experts and colleagues from around the world.  This collaboration cannot only benefit the students, but the teacher can interact with other teaching professionals to share and learn from.  Teachers also have access to many sources because of the Web.  There is endless amount of information available on the Web and today’s web tools allow for a collaborative learning environment.

A teacher has to be affected by these changes in the Web.  They are not doing their students justice if they just stick with the textbook and fail to bring in outside resources.  The Web will only continue to grow and be more massive with the amount of resources and information available that educators can use to complement their curriculums.  Teachers can start small and begin to bring these Web resources and technologies into their classrooms and watch how they develop into collaborative teaching and learning environments.  They must realize that this information in always available (24/7) and is being accessed by millions each day.

A Challenge to Connectivism

Here is an entry from a wiki (http://spring12-bce-02.wikispaces.com/Group+B+6-A-1):

Are there parts of the theory which you find confusing?
Kerr (2006) says that "networks are important but haven't changed learning so much that we need to throw away all of the established learning theories and replace them with a brand new one" (A challenge to connectivism). Kerr lists three criteria for a good learning theory, including the requirement that it should result in learning reform. Connectivism does not lead to learning reform, however, because its language is too generalized. In addition, Kerr finds the connectivism theory lacks credibility, as a result of misrepresentations of existing theories, such as constructivism, behaviorism and cognitivism (A challenge to connectivism).

I agree with this notion that challenges Connectivism.  I am not 100% sure that Siemen is actually providing a learning theory.  It is more of his personal view of learning in today’s society.  His view tends to represent how students develop their learning skills.  I also agree that this theory is too generalized and lacks credibility.  His theory is suggesting that students learn in different ways and that teachers should teach differently to adapt to today’s learner.  I do agree that if how students learn is changing, our role as educators needs to change so the learner benefits.

Skype in the Classroom

Recently I had the opportunity to Skype with an educator from the Owen J. Roberts School District.  I thought it was beneficial to share our ideas on using Skype and to collaborate on a project that we are working on.  I have used Skype previously to communicate with others on professional education topics.  I have also used Skype to make international calls from Scotland to the US over the summer.  We used it to communicate with classrooms in another country and we also used it to communicate with one of our teachers who was out on leave.  I believe that the students greatly benefited from these experiences.  The students would never be able to connect and experience this type of collaboration without the use of Skype (or a similar tool).  Using this type of technological tool in the classroom can be very valuable.  I would like to set-up more collaborative “meetings” with other schools so both of our groups of students can experience this technology and learn from each other about specific topics of study.

Features of Skype – http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/features/

Skype in the Classroom - http://education.skype.com/

50 Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom - http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Photography Podcasts

I just came across this Photography Podcast.  Just one of the useful podcasts from iTunes that we can use in our classrooms.

Jeff Curto’s Camera Position #94 – How to do vs. What to do Podcast – iTunes

This podcast, along with all of the other ones created by Jeff Curto, can be used in a High School Photography course.  The Photography and/or Art teacher could use the podcast to support information presented by the teacher.  It expresses how to do certain tasks and what and when to do it when taking pictures.  Mr. Curto talked about shutter speed, camera techniques, using Photoshop and tips to look for when viewing current photographs from master photographers.  He stressed to the listener to try and learn from what and how they took pictures.  Mr. Curto does have an entire series of podcasts focusing on how to do certain creative techniques of photography.  I did not have a particular subject area to look for when searching for a podcast, but I came across this series in iTunes and thought that it would be useful to our Photography teacher at school.  All of Mr. Curto’s podcasts are available through iTunes and also his website.  Here is the link to the Camera Postion 94 podcast:  http://www.cameraposition.com/archives/736.

Using Flickr in The Classroom

The most obvious application of Flickr photography is to use it in the design of lessons that promote and build visual literacy skills in students.  Some ideas of how to use Flicker in the classroom are:  creative writing assignments with individual pictures or storytelling with multiple pictures; teaching students about creative common licensing; having the students create digital portfolios; and allowing your student to collect photos from Flickr to create presentations and to also analyze the pictures.  Students can even create slide shows, magazine covers, and posters within Flickr.  Flickr is not only a great place to find pictures; the site invites student collaboration and participation.  Students can embed comments on the image itself.  A Geography class could use Flickr with Google Earth to teach Geography.  There are so many uses for Flickr that hopefully teachers will start to take advantage of the site.  Here is a picture that I pulled from Flickr.  Think how you could use it in your class! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57052320@N05/5264635031/

Image Citation:
Jodriscoll61.  (2010, December 15). American Revolution Politican Cartoons 7.  Jodriscoll61’s Photostream.  Received April 5, 2012, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/57052320@N05/5264635031/.

What’s a Wiki??

Wikis are tools for group authoring.  Often group members collaborate on a document by emailing each group member a file that each person edits on their computer, and then some attempt is made to coordinate the edits so that everyone’s work is equally represented.  Using a wiki pulls the group members together and enables them to build and edit the document on a single wiki page.  Wikis are designed for collaborative authoring by everyone.    Possible uses of wikis include:  students can use a wiki to develop research projects, with the wiki serving as ongoing documentation of their work; students can add summaries of their thoughts from the prescribed readings, building a collaborative annotated bibliography on a wiki; a wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts, and students can edit and comment on these directly for all to see; teachers can use wikis to share reflections and thoughts regarding topics; wikis can be used for brainstorming, and editing a given wiki topic can produce a linked network of resources.

• Is there a particular example of a classroom wiki which inspired you? No, just having to use them in a couple online courses that I have taken has opened my eyes to the ability to use wikis in a classroom setting.  I have seen the value in them and have tried a couple of times with some of the teachers in my building to use them with their classes.  We have used them in a Government class where the students used a wiki to collaborate on an election campaign project.  I have also used them with U.S. History teacher.  The students were collaborating about their Civil War projects.
• What was most challenging about creating a wiki together as a group in
  Activity 4-C-1?  One challenging part of the project was trying to find good sources for the topic that we were assigned.  Even though there is plenty of information on the topic, evaluating which sites would be useful to use to educate our students took longer than I expected.  I had two excellent partners to work with and we all chipped in to make the group experience a good one.
• What did you learn from the group wiki project? I think that I reinforced my belief that using wikis with the students can be very valuable and it adds substance to the topic being taught. The students can benefit greatly from making connections like this and by working collaboratively with each other. They are able to share their findings and learn from each other while completing their projects.
• Has your opinion of Wikipedia changed at all this week?  No, not really.  I think it can be used effectively in the classroom if the students understand how to use the site and teachers need to make them realize that the site should not be used as a primary resource.  Again, I think the use of wikis with students who are collaborating on group projects can enhance the project very much.
• Are you encountering resistance to using wikis in your class, either from others or from yourself? If so, how do you plan to respond?  No, I think there are teachers in my building that would definitely continue to use wikis with their students, but there is a small population, like with everything else, you must make them feel comfortable with using the tool themselves before they want to use it in class with the students.  I think it is a good tool to be used with the students and possibly with other teachers who would want to collaborate on curriculum writing or for other professional use.

Blogical Discussion: What Do You Think?

Today’s technology has provided students with instant access to information by clicking a few buttons and it is readily available to them.  It is everywhere it today’s society and the younger generation has a need to use it constantly.  It is their main form of communication.  I think that people learn in different ways.  Teachers need to accept technology and learn how it can enhance their curriculum and improve student learning at the same time.  Today’s students have different learning styles.  Today’s generation of students have grown up with technology all around them and have absorbed information using these technologies.  The result of this constant contact with technology has caused the younger generation to think and learn differently from the older generations.  This generation of learners is digitally stimulated and learns in different ways.  It is our responsibility as educators to realize that if our students know, use, and learn with this technology, we should be implementing it into our classrooms. 

I think about how the use of technology in school classrooms has evolved throughout the years, and has become revolutionary in changing the way we teach and learn.  Our classrooms should no longer be confined to four walls and a few teachers who are considered to be experts in knowledge.  Our classrooms need to keep up with a changing society and a new world that is dependent on technology.  A school needs to offer the latest technological resources and training to enhance the classroom experience.

I don’t think that the technology should drive the curriculum, but it should complement and enhance it.  Technology is such a big part of the students' world that we as educators need to inspire them to use these technologies to learn.  We shouldn't be afraid to change the way we teach.  Not that they can't learn the traditional way, but they are so dependent on technology that we should use that to teach them.

All of our schools probably have technology and use some technology to teach the students, but we may not be reaching everyone unless we adapt to how the students learn the best.  It is difficult because how can we teach 30 different ways to a class of 30?  I would think that there are more changes to come in the near future for education - ones that we haven't even thought of yet!  What do you think about the role of technology in schools today?

Here are a couple of articles discussing similar topics:

“Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students”:  http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

Using the Technology of Today, In the Classroom Today”:  http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf

Social Bookmarking Lesson - In-Service Day Training

Here is my plan to offer a training session to our staff on an upcoming in-sesrvice day.

Chris Lloyd – Adding bookmarks to del.icio.us Lesson Plan – 3-D-2

Professional Staff – In-service Day Training Session – Using Del.icio.us.com

Objectives: The staff will use their prior knowledge of the internet and websites in their content area to:  use the online bookmarking tool, del.icio.us; understand how to add bookmarks using a del.icio.us account and add a description, note, and tags to the bookmarks.

Materials and equipment needed for the instruction session:

• del.icio.us account (free to set up)
• Computer lab with access to the internet (wireless, if laptops are being used)
• Reference/Instruction Sheet

Lesson Plan:

1. Introduction - The presentation will consist of a short lecture, a demonstration, practice time for the staff (adding and tagging web resources), and a little time for questions and clarification.
1. What is del.icio.us? It's an online tool that lets you bookmark, tag and describe links.
2. Show my Delicious account as an example
3. Create a Delicious account – walk the staff through creating a username and password and accessing their account.
4. Give general overview and brief tour of the del.icio.us screen.
5. Model adding a link to the Delicious account.
2. Adding links
1. Learn how to add links. There are two ways to bookmark links.
1. (Buttons)
1. One of them involves a shortcut button that you can have added to your internet browser.
2. The checkered button takes you to your account.
3. The one that says tag adds the site you are currently looking at.
2. (With-in the account)
1. Open account
2. Explain steps on how to create a link from within their account.
2. Explain tags and description options when bookmarking a site.
3. Pass out Handout.
4. Questions – on procedure or the website.
3. Class Time
1. Allow staff to add links of their own – use sites that you would use with your students or for teaching your content.
1. For each bookmark, make sure that you add a description/title, notes (brief), and at least one tag.
4. Closing
   At the conclusion of the training session, make sure everyone can use the website del.icio.us.  Indicate that the instruction sheet will be posted on my district website as well as the Methacton Technology Blog.  Allow the remainder of the time for questions and assisting the staff with bookmarking sites – possibly provide some content-specific sites for each person depending on the size of the group.

MHS Protopage

I just created this great resource page for a PLS course that I am taking.  The website is called Protopage and it allows you to add "widgets" to personalize your page.  I think it's awesome and can't wait to pass it along to our staff soon.  Here is my Protopage:

http://www.protopage.com/mhstechnology#Untitled/Home

Learning Via RSS

I feel that RSS feeds can be a very useful way to learn about new information and gather additional resources for use in the classroom.  I am always searching for different websites, resources, and other material to pass along to teachers in my building.  I subscribe to several websites and blogs that help me create different lesson ideas for the teachers in my building.  Subscribing to RSS feeds is a way to check for updates to these websites, without having to visit each site individually.  It save so much time to just go to one location and search the specific posts that come to me rather than typing in different URLs and visiting all of the those sites one at a time.  I think that it allows me to stay informed of new posts and other information from these sites/blogs which I consider useful to me.  It really does save time not needing to visit each site and allows me to be more efficient and productive with other aspects of my job.

Persuasive Writing - Student Projects

Here is a link to the student's projects -look for the Bracket Regions at the top of the page:  http://write2persuade.blogspot.com/  There are some great ideas/projects by the students.  I think this is an awesome idea. 

http://write2persuade.blogspot.com/2011/04/welcome-to-elite-8.html?showComment=1331985543527#c3097435424247825861

Persuasive Writing with Your Brackets

I came across this lesson for Persuasive Writing and I thought it is the perfect time of year to try this with your English Classes or tweek it a litle to fit your class.  I think that this blogging assignment is a great way to have the students not only improve their creative writing, but it also promotes a little competition in the classroom, which I like.  I’m sure the students got extremely engrossed in this project and now would be a perfect time to start this because the NCAA tournament just started.  It could be a yearly project around this time of year.  I think blogs provide an opportunity for students to express what they are thinking and to interact with people around the world.  It can be a very useful educational tool.

http://www.engagingeducators.com/blog/2011/03/29/student-blogging-project/

Here is a link to the student's projects -look for the Bracket Regions at the top of the page:  http://write2persuade.blogspot.com/

My Thoughts About Web 2.0

One of my goals is to bring technology into all of the classrooms at my school so it can benefit the students with what they are learning.  I feel that there are so many resources out there and we have to choose which ones can benefit our students the best.  I would like to see all of our teachers have a professional Twitter account and possibly their own classroom blog, so they can communicate more with their students and colleagues.

I don’t believe that the technology should drive the curriculum, but it should be a complement to enhance the learning process.  I enjoy using technology to enhance what is being taught to the students.  I think there are so many great tools out there to bring into the classroom that can help the students learn and allow them to experience so many different things.  I believe that the existing Web 2.0 technologies will have a great impact on student learning and the way we teach them than other improved technologies have in the past.  I think that we can’t even imagine the changes that are going to take place in education due to this collaborative interaction via the internet.  Students are going to be publishing work, be exposed to endless amounts of information, and will have the ability to participate and collaborate during the learning process.  These powerful technologies can positively affect student performance and achievement, motivate students to learn, and increase communication between the teachers and students as well as their parents.