Final Blog!!!

Part 1

I made it!! 

I am coming upon the completion of my 1^st course in my grad degree program here at SNHU.  Today, I will talk about what I have learned, the course objectives that weren’t really addressed in my midterm blog, as well as a personal reflection about where I was before this class and where I am now in regard to technology and education. 

I have increased my technology knowledge greatly during these past 10 weeks.  I am excited to report that this digital immigrant is finally entering the 21^st century with some tools and know how that I plan to bring to my classroom.  I wasn’t sure what Web 2.0 meant until I took this class.  Web 2.0 is the new 2^nd generation of the internet.  It consists of web tools that allow for users to interact more easily and collaborate more effectively.  Web 2.0 is a revolutionary because it allows users to instantaneously communicate in order to share, develop and distribute new information and ideas (Schrum & Levin 2009).  Throughout the course of the past 10 weeks I have learned so much about these new tools and their application to the world of education.  I have discovered how important Digital Citizenship is in today’s brave new technological world.  It is important to know the ‘rules of the road’ when navigating the web and to practice safe online activity at all times.  Proper ‘netiquette’ is paramount inside and outside the classroom.  It is the role of parents and teachers to inform children of these rules and help foster a better understanding of how to be a good digital citizen.  I learned what standards are applied to students and teachers when it comes to using technology in the classroom.  These are known as the NETS standards.  I learned how to apply and use google docs in the classroom.  These tools can be invaluable to a teacher and allow for greater communication with students.  It’s not just about email anymore, with shared google docs, teachers can instantly see what a student is working on and give immediate feedback.  It also serves as a great collaborative tool where students can add information to one document simultaneously.  Diigo is also another great tool where students can create their own web library.  They are able to save certain sites in their Diigo account and categorize them.  They are also able to write notes and/or highlight parts of the site for future use.  This is all saved in the ‘cloud’.  I have made many projects in class using tools like Scratch, Animoto, audioboo, and this blog.  I also created my very own webquest.  By using these tools, I was able to express creativity and knowledge about how technology and education are now truly woven together in today’s classroom.    

There are the 2 course objectives that we didn’t really touch on in the Mid Term review post. 

3. Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments

Since the midterm review I have created two projects that cover this course objective.  The first was a lesson plan that implemented some type of technology as a final product.  I created a lesson plan about World War II where students have to produce an Animoto video about a certain country in the war.  This enabled me to understand how to implement an authentic technology experience for my students in a clear and concise manner. 

My 2^nd project was to create a webquest where students have to chose a major world religion, research it, and produce a presentation in the form of a powerpoint or a Prezi.  This allowed me to understand how to implement the use of a rubric for grading purposes as well as providing students with a great technological experience in the classroom.

7. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student

I have learned how to use adaptive technologies in the classroom that can assist a wide range of students.  Special needs students in particular usually require some form of adaptive technology to help or enhance their learning.  Having the technological tools in place to help scaffold the learning process is invaluable to any teacher.  In my lesson plan I discussed how to modify an assignment to accommodate students with special needs.  Whether it’s a podcast, text to speech or speech to text software, or using other Web 2.0 tools, students with special needs can excel in the classroom and have great learning experiences. 

Well, as a digital immigrant I was quite apprehensive about taking this class.  I always shied away from technology, only sticking to what I knew and often blaming the computer for my mistakes!!  After this class I can assure you that not only do I feel confident about technology, but I feel that it is an essential tool in the classroom.  I know as a future special education teacher, that I will most definitely utilize technology to help and enhance my students’ learning. For students who struggle or are not engaged with the learning I can always implement an aspect of technology into their work to help bring out their creativity and motivate them to work harder. 

Part II

Why is it important for all teachers to integrate technology into the lessons they teach, regardless the age of the students?

I feel that it is a teacher’s duty to implement technology into the classroom.  Technology provides teachers with an awesome tool to help enhance the learning process and at the same time engage the students.  Technology provides students with genuine creative experiences that can be shared with their classmates or at home.  I am not saying that technology is the only way to teach, but utilizing it in the classroom is a great tool to aid in the learning process.  Learning about proper digital citizenship will help prepare students to live in a future world where many aspects of life will become digital in one way or another. 

There are still some barriers to implementing technology into the classroom.  Schools that consist of administrators that are digital immigrants like me usually do not like change.  It may be hard to convince some people to start using technology in the classroom.  It may present a huge cost to school budgets, and many schools may not be physically equipped to handle technology or the professional development required.  I see technology in the classroom as a must.  Once administrators begin to see the advantages, I hope they will all make the necessary investments to allow their teachers to use technology in their classrooms.  Also, many of today’s teachers are digital immigrants.  So in order for them to utilize technology in the classroom, they need to be trained.  Hopefully in 10-20 years all schools will employ mostly digital natives that will help to integrate technology into schools.  Another barrier might be access to technology for some students.  Even if the students have the technology in the school setting, not having it at home may hinder a student’s work.  Hopefully through grants and lower entry costs of technology, all students will have the opportunity to utilize technology inside and outside the classroom. 

There are so many ways for teachers to use technology in today’s classroom.  Just by having internet access in the classroom, it allows teachers to have immediate access to endless stores of information that could enhance student learning.  The internet also opens up student research projects like never before.  Students can access more information quicker and easier than when I was in school.  The use of webquests can help students navigate through a lot of the research information and provide a focused learning assignment where students can discover and create.  Google docs provide a wide array of uses in the classroom.  Students can employ a shared google doc on a group research project and work on it simultaneously.  Teachers can check student’s contributions by requiring each student to type in a different color on the document.  Students can use the survey feature to create data driven projects.  Teachers can use the survey feature to give quizzes or get feedback on lessons.  Podcasts can provide students another way to access information.  Podcasts can also be a way that students can deliver work to teachers.  Blogs are a great way for students to create and share their work with the teacher and the class.  This could be used in an English class where all of the creative writing pieces are kept in the blog and students can comment and leave feedback to their classmates.  Animito and Scratch can provide students with a creative side a way to produce genuine digital stories that can be used in science, social studies or English projects.  These digital stories are great ways to express understanding of content.  Scratch would also provide students an insight on how to use computer programming.  Diigo can be a way for students to sort through the vast ocean of the internet and keep a categorical library of the sites they visit.  Diigo also allows students to makes notes on and/or highlight a particular site.  I have also explored the use of iPads in the classroom as well.  Students in elementary and high school in Michigan were given iPads to use and there was great success.   In the future students might never need another textbook or notebook; personal tablets or laptops may take their place. 

In the past decade the marriage between technology and education has been quite successful.  Teachers who utilize technology in their classroom are able to engage students at higher levels and students can use that technology to create awesome projects that display their learning.  I hope that this marriage continues to grow in order to give all students across the country the ability to access these awesome tools that can assist in the learning process. 

Week 10 – Literature Review: Social Media: It Does Have a Place in the Classroom

Class Objectives met through this review:

1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning

2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance students’ technological literacy

4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources

5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology

8. Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature

Many people feel that social media has no place in the classroom.  Some see it as the new ‘bad boy’ on the block.  But these views are beginning to change when we start to look at the potential social media has in  education. 

In the article entitled, Social Media: It Does Have a Place in the Classroom by James Careless, he discusses the question of social media in education and comes to the conclusion that social media does indeed have a place in today’s classroom. 

Careless interviewed three educators, Dean Shareski, David Jakes and Carolyn Foote who all agree that social media cannot only improve the quality of education, but can make students more engaged in their learning.  It can also allow for greater literacy because being literate in 2012 means being digitally literate.

Shareski says, “…you have to understand that social media is much more than just Facebook and Twitter.  In reality, social media is any kind of media where there is the opportunity for people to interact online.  That’s how all-encompassing it truly is.”  I believe he is right.  There are so many social media applications out there that can enhance student learning such as: blogs, interactive websites, chat-rooms, videos on YouTube and bookmarking sites.   David Jakes also agrees by stating, “Anything that lets people interact online is effectively social.”  Giving students the ability to post their creations online allows them to get accustomed to dealing with the outside world.  Having students work online also pushes education beyond the confines of school, and it forces them to do "authentic" work that gets tested out in the real world, as other people see it and respond to it. Students also need to know that their work can have an impact on the outside world, and they should know that it is subject to positive or negative feedback.  Being able to collaborate with other students, not only in their class but in classes around the world is an exceptional educational tool.  Teachers have the ability to allow students to get their voices heard by using social networking.  It is also important to note that by putting student’s work online allows the classroom to virtually be brought home.  Parents can check in on their child’s work and progress by simply viewing what they have either posted on a creative writing blog for English class or view a video he or she made for a social studies research project.  Something as simple as using Facebook to organize events could be extremely useful. 

Careless mentions that it shouldn’t be a web free for all.  Teachers and schools need to monitor web access.  Teachers must help students figure out how to navigate the web so they "can get to the good stuff" that's applicable to school.  Teachers also need to be responsible for educating the students to become good digital citizens and to be aware of their digital footprint.  This type of technology can leave students open to stranger danger, expose them to unsavory sites or even serve as a distraction.  But Foote notes that there have been distractions in schools even before computers.  Jakes also mentions that strangers who comment on things rarely have ill intent in mind.  That’s not to say there shouldn’t be an element of safety involved.  Students should learn from their teachers some effective ways to deal with stranger danger through proper digital citizenship.  Though there are risks associated with encouraging students to use social networking sites, I would argue that potential for opportunities outweigh the costs.  As education and awareness about social media develop, social media resources may pave the way for growth in today’s schools.

Careless also comments on how teachers need to be educated on the ins and outs of the social media sites they plan to use in their classrooms.  By doing this, they will enable their students to harness the potential that social media holds in being an effective educational tool.  

Careless concludes his article by mentioning Frank Pileiro's 3 C's of social media success for teachers.  The 3 C's are Connect, Collaborate and Curate.  Connect to the right social media that works for you and that can be applied to your classroom.  Collaborate and allows people so see your students work, and to be a contributor, not just a receiver of information.  Curate to allow for organization of the sites you and your students are on.  A good example of this is Diigo, which allows you to bookmark sites and leave notes or comments that can be shared.  

Through utilizing teaching techniques that incorporate social media, teachers are able to increase students' engagement in learning, increase technological proficiency, contribute to a greater sense of collaboration in the classroom, and build better communication skills.  The power of social media can be misleading, but now and into the future it can clearly be a tool for enhancing student learning.  

Mid Term Review

Time for the Mid Term Review of what we’ve learned so far:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning:

Throughout the term so far the class has seen how technology can positively affect student learning.  We understand that students learn differently these days, and that technology in today’s classroom has impacted the way teachers teach and the way students learn.  In an instant students can be transported anywhere in the world or discover any piece of information with in-class internet access.  Students are able to use technology to create videos, podcasts, digital stories or a variety of other applications to enhance their learning.    Students are motivated by technology in the classroom through the use of multimedia that captures their interest and creates valuable learning experiences.  Teachers are able to create class web sites or wikis to allow the classroom to be experienced at home where students can access class content and do homework through those sites.  Blogs are a great way for students to express themselves and share what they have learned with other students.  Email allows students to connect with teachers during non school hours.  Technology allows teachers to increase responsiveness to different learning styles, especially with special education students.  Assistive communication devices allow students with speech impairments the ability to communicate effectively.  Computers make life easier for teachers by allowing them to keep better and more accurate records.  Ultimately technology is a tool that promotes effective learning, and I believe it should definitely be integrated into all classrooms in America.  Teachers still need to be able to engage students and deliver the content in a meaningful and relative manner.  

2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance student’s technological literacy:

When I have my own classroom I will most definitely utilize the technological tools we have learned about throughout the course.  First and foremost the ability for my students to find their way across the internet is paramount.  I believe this is the doorway to technological literacy.  Through the internet, students have access to a seemingly infinite amount of websites, videos, podcasts, articles, blogs, and other information to enhance their learning.  The use of blogs can greatly enhance student literacy by allowing for expression, reflection and documentation of research.  I would want my students to be able to know how to navigate through a class wiki which would allow them access to the classroom material outside the school building.  I would encourage my students to use Diigo, which would enable them to keep track of important websites they find and allow them to keep notes and highlights on those websites.  I would employ Scratch as a tool for creative activities like storytelling or PSA’s.  It is an effective way for students to understand how to write computer code in a user friendly way that employs math and literacy skills.  I would encourage my students who are averse to typing to use podcasts to record their work and turn it for homework assignments or projects.  I would also have my students use Animoto as a tool for digital storytelling.  Animoto allows students to create their own visual story using pictures and text.  Today’s students love technology and can find it as a useful tool to boost their learning and technological skills. 

3. Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments:

I am on the verge of creating my 1^st lesson that incorporates technology through learning.  I will be able to understand and be able to implement a lesson plan using a Webquest.  A webquest is a student driven assignment that allows students to use the internet for most of the information needed to answer the questions the teacher asks.  I will also develop a separate lesson plan that incorporates technology.  I plan on creating a project based on social studies curriculum for special needs students. 

4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources:

I admit that I got scared when it came to using technology, but after 7 short weeks I feel very comfortable using the many technological applications the class has experienced.  This blog was my first opportunity to engage in the modern world of Web 2.0.  Creating the blog was much easier than I thought, and I have been able to demonstrate how to share links, videos, pictures and articles through my blog posts.  I have learned a great deal about Google docs and how it is an incredible tool that allows students to share and collaborate information on projects or a homework assignment.  I have learned how to conduct surveys or tests using the ‘forms’ document.  The class had a chance to create our own Scratch PSA regarding digital citizenship.  I have discovered Diigo which is a site that allows me to keep a virtual library of websites and articles that I have discovered on the internet.  I have also learned how to use Animoto to create digital stories, as well as Audioboo which aides in the creation of podcasts. 

I created a nifty digital story using Animoto that highlights my family’s vacation to California last year.  I have not used the podcast tool yet, but I plan to in the future. 

5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology:

I have thoroughly researched and discovered how to become a good digital citizen in this complex digital world.  I have looked at and compared 2 documentaries on how kids grow up in the digital world.  Today’s students are digital natives, meaning they have been born and raised in the digital world.  I am a digital immigrant who has seen the development of technology through the years but did not grow up using it.  It is important for today’s teachers to be able to relate to digital natives by providing the proper understanding of safe, ethical and legal moral practices related to how they conduct themselves in the digital world.  I have learned about overuse of technology, cyberbullying, digital footprints, and netiquette. 

I have created a Scratch story which is a PSA about digital citizenship.  Check it out:


http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/rbergskaug/2357169

6. Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (e.g., NH Curriculum Frameworks, ISTE (NETS-Teacher/NETS-Student) and NH-ICT Literacy Standards for K-12 Students (306.42)):

The state standards create a framework for what knowledge the students should be able to demonstrate upon completion of a given grade or course.  I have learned about the teacher and student standards in regard to technology.  I have learned that technology can enhance the accessibility of the required standards to a greater number of learners.  I am currently in the process of applying those standards to my webquest project and my lesson plan.  I will demonstrate how students can complete a self directed assignment incorporating technology founded in the state mandated curriculum. 

7. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student:

I was able to utilize the Scratch Program which enables students to create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share their creations.  Students learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.  Scratch is a very user friendly application, and anyone can use Scratch. It is a great adaptive technology that allows students who learn through creating an opportunity to show off their skills.

 

8. Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature:

I completed a webinar review during the 4^th week of class.  The webinar discussed how iPads can be an asset in the elementary level classroom.   Two teachers in Michigan were chosen to run a pilot program in which they gave all of their student’s iPads for the entire school year, and all of the lessons and work produced was created with the iPad.  I will also complete another literature review in the coming weeks, hopefully about how special education is positively affected by technology.  In the documentary review I also looked at 2 recent documentaries that dealt with students growing up in the digital world and the state of digital citizenship.  They are entitled Growing up Online and Digital Nation. 

Overall the class is going great.  As a digital immigrant I was hesitant about delving into the world of technology.  It goes to show that exposure and practice can lead to greater understanding of a subject matter.  I have realized things about the brave new world of technology that I had never considered.  I will hopefully transform myself into a lifelong technological learner that will boldly go where no teacher has gone before!!

Week 5: Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century

We’re all in this Together!!

In the fast paced world of the 21^st century, technology has given us the opportunity to be not only consumers of information, but creators of information.  When we delve into the vast digital ocean, it is important to remember that what we create should be done in a respectful and responsible manner.  Our creations can impact others either positively or negatively.  We are all citizens in a global world who buy into the social frameworks and norms that govern society.  We must mirror those intentions in the digital world we participate in as well. 

How do we practice good digital citizenship?   I believe the answer lies in respect, education and protection.  This model is highlighted on the digital citizenship web site produced by Mike Ribble.  There are various ways in which we all, young and old, come in contact with technology in our daily lives.  Whether it is a simple text, an email or a facebook comment, we need to practice proper netiquette.  We need to educate the digital immigrants as well as the digital natives about proper digital citizenship.  We also need to recognize the permanence of our actions in the digital world and protect our identity as well as protect others from the dangers of cyber bullying. 

As a future teacher I need to advocate, model and teach safe and ethical use of technology inside and outside the classroom.  Technology is playing an increasing role in how we teach our students.  As they come in contact with the digital world, it is necessary for them to understand what it means to be honest and respectful.  The responsibility for teaching them appropriate netiquette starts with parents and transfers to the teacher.  Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online.  Keeping the lines of communication open between parent and child is paramount to becoming a safe and successful digital citizen.  Concerned parents have created a website called Common Sense Media that recognizes the need for digital literacy and citizenship in the 21^st century.  This is one of many tools parents can turn to in order to help them understand the digital world.  Teachers can rely on the standards that have been set in place by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  These standards help us define what teachers need to do to promote appropriate technology use among students.  Teachers who are digital immigrants need to become trained in all aspects of digital citizenship in order to bridge the gap between them and the digital natives they teach.  Once teachers are educated in digital citizenship, they need to implement strategies that promote effective and ethical use of technology.  Teachers need to give students the opportunities to practice good digital citizenship through the use of projects that engage students with learning through technology.  Teachers can do this by connecting their students to the world through the use of online research and discovery.  Teachers also need to understand that their students will be using these tools in the future, and that the promotion of good digital citizenship will help them in their careers and in life. 

Students experience digital content on a daily basis.  They are becoming rich content developers through social networking sites and other Web 2.0 tools. They are interacting in a new and exciting environment inside and outside of the classroom that is teaching them about relationships, the online community, and what it takes to be good digital citizens.  Today’s learners will be doing work that will rely on their creative abilities, their skills to analyze information, and their ability to collaborate with each other.  The way students behave in the online world and how they find the information they need, must be modeled appropriately by parents and teachers so that today’s learners develop into proper 21^st century digital citizens.  The ISTE also has a set of standards that students can look into as a guide for proper digital behavior.

 

We hopefully will never see another teen suicide related to cyber-bullying again.   The protection of our students in the digital world is perhaps most important.  For all of the positive aspects that technology, especially the Internet, has granted us, there is a dark side that lurks behind closed doors.  Bullying has risen to a new frontier.  It is one thing to be bullied face to face, but the internet provides a means to bully others with a veil of secrecy.  No longer does the bullying stop once the student comes home from school.  Today it is often the case where bullying continues through texting and social media.  A child sometimes cannot hide from those modes of communication.  Children need to be educated on how to spot online bullying and be confident in the fact that they can report it to the proper authority.  Students need to understand that there is a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. 

Our digital footprint, the path of data we leave behind us in the digital world, should be recognized and protected as well.  It is amazing to think about just how much information there is about all of us in the online world and how quickly it is compiled.  Our identity not only exists in the real world, it exists in the digital world as well.  That identity is also difficult to erase once it is captured digitally.  What we do and say online has a sense of permanence. We must be responsible and respectful of the content we create online. 

Today’s digital world has offered us a new kind of reality that gives people new ways of communicating with each other.  The way we operate in this digital world should reflect the way we want to be treated in the ‘real world’.  The responsibility falls on all of us to help one another achieve that same level of respect and consideration.  Education is key to helping newcomers and old timers become good digital citizens who share in the values that we adhere to in everyday life.  Let us all help each other to experience a digital world that is safe, effective and one that fosters positive impacts on all who come in contact with it.  

Week 4: Webinar Review – iPads in the Classroom

Learning Objectives Addressed:
1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.
2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance student's technological literacy.
4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources.
5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student.
8. Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature.

Can the iPad Change the World?  

I bet two teachers from Michigan would say yes.  Kindergarten teacher Ashley McDonald and 2^nd Grade teacher Amber Kowatch were recently given the opportunity to take part in a pilot program that granted each of their students an iPad for use in their classroom for the duration of the school year.  In the webinar I recently listened to entitled, iPads in the Classroom, Ashley and Amber discuss their experience with Tom Johnson (Director of Technology for the Mason-Lake and Oceana ISDs), Allyson Rockwell (Director/Producer) and host Steve Hargadon (The Future of Education Website founder).  They engage in a conversation that highlights the implementation of the program and the journey that the two teachers took that changed the way they think about education. 

The program was implemented by Tom Johnson when he was awarded a grant to purchase 60 iPads for a pilot program that would integrate the iPad into a kindergarten and a 2^nd grade classroom environment.  The experiment was conducted during the 2010-2011 school year.  Minimal technological upgrades and changes were needed at the schools in order to make the program work.  The iPad was chosen because it was the best tablet available and it was the easiest to use.  It has the power to incorporate a great deal of educational apps that could be used in the classroom, and its durability proved worthwhile as well. 

ABC's affiliate in Ludington, Michigan WZZM featured Amber in the following story:

Ashley and Amber were nervous at first.  They were not sure about how using this new technology with 5-7 year olds would work.  They were pleasantly surprised when they saw how well the kids responded to the technology and how it enhanced their learning.  They both said that it changed the way they teach and how students learn.  The kids fell in love with their new learning tool.  There were concerns that the device might not be for every student, but all of the kids responded well.  They believed that this new experience would break down barriers that kids might have had with technology and open a whole new world for them.  It definitely did. 

There were also concerns from parents that the device would be used as a toy and could be used improperly at home.  These concerns were eased by the parents and teachers having a meeting at the beginning of the school year that set the tone for the usage of the device.  Contracts were signed that outlined the parameters of proper use of the device, and the students would be taught how to be good technological citizens. 

Once the class was set up in September and the rules of the road were laid out, the students were ready to embark on their journey with this brave new technology.  Ashley and Amber quickly saw the benefits of the iPad as an educational tool for learning and creation.  They were able to capture writing assignments and class videos that could be shared among all of the students in the class.  The iPad allowed the student the flexibility of a portable device that could be used in a circle time environment, at a desk, or standing up.  It made for an easy transition into the classroom.  Its lack of wires and a mouse allowed the students to learn from any space in the classroom.  The teachers were able to set up a blog to allow for collaboration among students.   Instead of a worksheet handout, the teachers used educational apps that allowed for instant engagement.    The device gave the kids the freedom to direct their learning.  An example of a boy in the 2^nd grade class illustrates this greatly.  After he was finished with a math assignment he was able to access the book he was writing on the iPad about animals.  The iPad allows for a great amount of self directed learning and discovery. 

Students were completely engaged all year.  Ashley and Amber both cited that it would be more difficult to teach that effectively without the iPad.  The reason for this is that half the battle is having the kids want to be there to learn.  The iPad generated excitement to learn.  Students were given an awesome opportunity to engage in a new style of learning in which they play an active role rather than simply a bystander receiving information.  Not only were the teachers teaching the students, but the students were teaching each other.  They were constantly showing each other how to do new things and helping each other with their assignments.  Both teachers constantly cited the fact that they allowed the students to direct the learning, which created a special bond between teacher and student.  

One of the most amazing and unique uses of the iPad was when it was sent home.  The teachers were able to send home notes to the parents, download actual class videos of lessons and allow the parents to see the children’s work on a daily basis.  This enabled parents to have a window into the classroom that was unprecedented.  A parent could engage a child with their homework and actually see what the class was taught through the video lesson and apply that lesson to the homework.  It is an experience parents would not have without the iPad. 

Producer and director Allison Rockwell created a documentary that followed the students through their iPad experience called Look I’m Learning.  Check out the trailer for the documentary:

Look, I'm Learning from Allyson Rockwell on Vimeo.

The iPad fever has even caught on in a Michigan high school where all 1800 students were issued the devices at the beginning of the 2011 school year.  Check out this article for details:

iPads for Every High School Student in Michigan District

The iPad experience is a direct example of how technology can have a greatly positive effect on student learning.  The students were engaged in the learning process and were able to collaborate and communicate with each other in ways that had never been really practiced before.  They were able to learn on a device that constructed a classroom of effective communicators and complex thinkers.  Students obviously increased their technological literacy over the course of the school year.  Ashley and Amber also cite how the students would teach them about new ways to do things and discover new applications pertinent to their learning.  The fact that the students were shown how to use the device in the appropriate way, shows that the teachers played an active role in the development of good technological citizens.  I believe this is a crucial step for all digital natives in this day and age.  Ashley and Amber spoke to how the kids in their classrooms did indeed learn at different speeds.  The iPad enabled them to differentiate learning by customizing the lessons to meet all student needs. 

My future is in special education, and if I was afforded the opportunity to use iPads in my classroom I know I would be able to actively engage all of my students.  The iPad would provide an exciting way to be able to make the curriculum come alive while at the same time increasing student creativity and discovery.  It would be easy to manage commonly unorganized student portfolios and keep track of their work and progress.  The iPad would have a multiplier effect on education as well when the students brought it home.  It would enable parents to actively take part in their child’s learning.  I believe that is one of the greatest attributes of the device.  Communication is so essential between the classroom and home, and the iPad is a great tool to enhance that. 

I strongly believe in the power that technology can have in the classroom.  I am thoroughly on board with using devices like the iPad in all areas of education.  Although it is important to remember that the iPad is only one device among many that can be used to enhance student learning.  My oldest son is nine years old and a special needs child, and our family has an iPad2 in the house.  I think the iPad may be the greatest assistive technology tool ever created for special needs children.  I know from firsthand experience that his technological knowhow and ability to learn new things was greatly enhanced once he started using the device.  We have downloaded many educational apps that Ashley and Amber also utilize in their classrooms like Clockmaster, Storychimes, Splash Math and abc PocketPhonics.  The iPad allows for special needs students like him to access technology with few, if any, modifications or adaptations.  It allows them to be independent and use technology like everyone else. I believe the iPad has already changed the world and as time goes on we may see it keep changing the educational world for the better.

Week 2 – Techy Documentaries : How Living in a Digital World Effects our Lives

I recently viewed 2 documentaries from the PBS series Frontline entitled: Growing Up Online & Digital Nation.  They both address how today’s new technology effects society and education.  Growing Up Online speaks to how technology has had an impact on the lives of adolescents who have grown up in the plugged in digital world.  In contrast, Digital Nation speaks to not just how technology effects adolescents, but how it affects all people regardless of age.  Growing Up Online, which was filmed in 2008 mentions how integrating technology into our kids education is important and worthwhile.  It talks about the dangers kids might face in the online world.  Digital Nation was filmed in 2010, and it appears as though it takes us into a more technologically savvy world that is faster and even more plugged in than in Growing Up Online.  Digital Nation addresses some new technological dangers: addiction and the risks associated with multi-tasking, to name a couple.  Both films take a look into the newfound digital era, but they analyze the effects technology has on our lives and our society differently. 

Each film addresses the phenomenon of multi-tasking where today’s digital natives are able to perform various tasks at one time without skipping a beat.  I believe that our brains will evolve into becoming better multi-tasking machines.  Where today’s digital natives have always been immersed in technology, it becomes natural for them to be able to do more than one thing at a time.  I think the human brain has its limits as to what it can accomplish through multi-tasking, but the technique does have a place in our new fast paced technological culture.  I myself have actually become a better multi-tasker since I purchased an iPhone just months ago.  Although my wife might tell you differently, I do believe that having the capability to be plugged in all the time has assisted my proficiency in taking care of more than one thing at a time.  I can shuffle through the phone quickly and I am able to text, play Words with Friends, and check my email virtually simultaneously. 

Digital Nation poignantly addresses the topic of addiction to technology.  As with anything in life, people can fall victim to addiction.  I do believe that there can be an unhealthy use of technology.  It is evident in the case of those who have died while playing video games for 50 hours straight in South Korea.  People should be concerned about this because it detracts from all of the good technology has brought us.  I firmly believe that technology is the projection of intelligence that the human race has developed in order to make our lives easier.  We should always be cautioned to the overexposure we might face when using technology and always remember that it is here to help us.

Both films talk about the use of video games and how they are perceived.  I do not believe that video games are the answer to solving our educational problems, but they can be a very useful tool when utilized effectively.  I think that video games are primarily a recreational vehicle, but they can enhance learning.   Educational video games might help a 4^th grade social studies class understand the map of the world better or a virtual reality ‘Shakespearian world’ created to enhance an English class’ understanding of Hamlet. 

Bringing technology into a school can only increase its student’s capacity to learn.  These tools need to be employed correctly and ethically.  In the Digital Nation’s example of the struggling school in New York City, bringing in technology greatly enhanced the student’s ability to learn and stay focused.  Schools need to engage students who live in a digital world with digital tools in order to find a common ground. 

As children and teens begin to enter the digital era they are faced with the reality of being exposed to the online world and the dangers that are associated with that.  Can parents really know what their kids are doing online?  The answer is no.  Parents can try, but kids are smart and will always find ways to circumnavigate parental controls and monitoring.  The key for parents is to have an open line of communication with their kids about what they do and what their interests are.  Parents today are hopefully having ‘the talk’ with their kids about things like sex, drugs and alcohol.  Well, maybe they should be having a ‘talk’ about the world of internet technology and the dangers that they might face online.  I believe schools should have a role in educating kids along the path of technology and should teach them proper netiquette and ethics when it comes to participating in the online world.  I do believe that ultimately, the task lies with the parents and their relationship with their children.

In Growing Up Online we heard from Evan Skinner, a mother of 4 teenagers, who is worried that her kids’ participation online exposes them too much and presents a potential problem for their future.  Kids can definitely be over exposed by posting too much information and pictures, and if seen by the wrong person kids can land themselves in some serious trouble.  I know of companies who hire or fire people based on what they can see online on social media.  I have heard stories about college admission offices declining students based on what they found on facebook or myspace.  Students should care about what they post online and take the proper precautionary privacy measures to ensure that their identity is protected. 

Technology poses some real dangers to us today.  Today’s children and adults might be getting too distracted by all of the social media and new technology of today.  Whether we are texting while driving or being consumed by a video game, we should all assess our connection to technology and make sure it is a healthy one.  One might think all of technology is a blessing and we should embrace it wholeheartedly, but at the same time we should always beware of the pitfalls of over use of technology that might be a detriment to our way of life. 

The one thing that amazed me after watching these 2 documentaries was the overwhelming proliferation of technology in our world today and especially in the world of education.   I remember when I was a sophomore in college when the internet and email were in its beginning stages.  We were all amazed at what technology might be able to do to better our lives.  The fact that both films cite over 90% of teens today are plugged into the internet astounds me.  The world has come so far in such a short time span.  Digital natives are so in tuned to the digital world around us that I often find myself jealous.  One comment that struck me was that the internet may have created the greatest generation gap since the advent of rock and roll.  That is so evident when you see the interviews of teachers in the documentaries.   The teachers that embrace technology have an entirely different outlook than the teachers who are reluctant to use technology.  I am so curious as to what the classroom will look like when the digital natives start migrating their way into the administrative roles in our schools. 

Growing Up Online really gave me new perspective as to how to teach effectively and to try to stay on the cutting edge of technology in order to better relate to today’s students.  Even in my role as a football coach we have incorporated technology in how we disperse information to the players.  We use a web based ‘drop box’ where we put plays and scouting reports.  The players have access to this information at any time and we found it has enhanced the degree to which the players grasp our system.  Seeing how the teachers at Chatham High School bring technology into their classroom inspires me to go out and gobble up all of the information I can about bringing new technology into the classroom.   I actually love the notion of teaching as entertaining the kids to grab their interest. 

Digital Nation opened my eyes to the responsibility we have to teach kids to be good online citizens.  I think it is paramount for children to understand what they are getting into when they enter the online world.  They need to behave in a way that shows respect and reflects their values.  Bullying should never be tolerated and kids should always be aware of the situations they could potentially walk into if they are not careful. 

The documentaries shed new light on what it means to be a responsible online citizen and to greater understand how technology can have a serious impact on all of our lives.  Technology challenges us to assert our human values.  We need to be able to use technology for a greater good, but always be observing the effect it has on us as people. 

Week 1- The Time is NOW: Technology in the Classroom

Should we integrate technology in the classroom?? 

We have to integrate technology in the classroom.  There is no doubt that the future of education lies not so much in the content that teachers teach, but in how teachers teach students to search for that content through the vast ocean of information that lies at their fingertips.  The 21^st century learners are digital natives, those born and raised in a completely digital world.  (Schrum & Levin – Leading 21^st Century Schools)  They have access to information instantaneously, unlike me who is a digital immigrant who had to look up answers in encyclopedias and to find movie times in the daily newspaper. 

Almost every job available today incorporates some kind of technology.  If we don’t incorporate technology into students’ education they will fall behind.  Today’s student is immersed in technology and to expect them to sit in a classroom and be lectured to for 50 minutes about the history of World War II is an antiquated mode of teaching.  If that same 50 minutes uses a class discussion Skype with a class in England about their views of the war in their country, a 5 minute YouTube video on the technology of the war and a Prezi outlining the major battles of the war – that student will be engaged in the class and exposed to technology that will enhance their learning. 

In the video ‘A Vision of K-12 Students Today’ we hear a calling that students are hungry for technology to engage their minds.  The more students are exposed to technology the more prepared they will be for the future.  In today’s classroom only 14% of teachers let them create something using technology.  When will we heed the call?  When will America stop being concerned with standardized testing and start being concerned with the amount of technology being used in the classroom? 

I had the privilege to attend a private boys Catholic high school in Long Island from 1990 to 1994.  Chaminade High School prepared me for the rigors of college life.  Back then the most advanced form of technology in the classroom was the overhead projector and a VCR.  We were fed information.  We wrote it down in notebooks, and we were tested on it.  There were no laptops or YouTube videos used to enhance the learning process as there are today.  Chaminade has evolved with the times, and today they use cutting edge technology across all subject matters to help prepare their students for today’s rigors they will have to face in college. 

History of technology in the classroom:

I am currently employed in the Amherst school district at Souhegan High School as a paraprofessional.  I support a variety of students in the classroom from day to day.  I am simply amazed at the amount of technology used in the classroom regularly.  Teachers are able to utilize the internet at the touch of a button to answer student questions where 18 years ago, those same questions had to be answered in a book at the library.  Every teacher has a laptop and is able to plug the class into the internet and use it as a resource.  One of the social studies teachers whose class I am in refers to some of his presentations as ‘multimedia extravaganzas.’  He incorporates music, art, political cartoons and internet research into a classroom where kids are engaged and eager to learn.  These students learn by doing not just listening to lectures. 

Students need to learn how to think.  They desire to learn in a variety of ways and through different mediums.  We live in a multi-tasking age where kids are able to listen to music, write a blog, and communicate with their friends while studying for a history exam.  Technology touches all of their lives.  When they arrive at school in the morning sometimes they aren’t immersed in that technology that will be crucial to their future.  We need to integrate technology into the classroom now in order to better prepare our students for the brave new world they will enter and a job force that requires technological capabilities. 

Check out these articles that discuss technology and education:
Technology as a Tool to Support Instruction

Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many