So...the graduate term is over this week. What have I learned? So much, really. It's a little overwhelming how much I have learned about technology in classrooms, actually--I wish there was a second part to this class where we could really utilize and practice all of the tools we learned about this term.
I think the WebQuest project was really great and will be extremely useful to me in the classroom. I have to say that at first I was a little skeptical because WebQuests really seem more geared to a younger, elementary-aged crowd. However, after beginning to look around and find a topic I wanted to do, I really began to see that it can be formatted to work with any age, and it really breaks up the monotony of a regular lesson. What a great tool to leave behind when you have a substitute in your classroom, too! I have already talked to my co-worker/counter part here at the Credit Union about using it in our banking classes with our students next semester; it would be a really great project to use for budgeting, learning about interest rates, etc.
On top of the tools we got to learn how to use in the classroom, this class really opened my eyes to just how much and how quickly today's classroom is transforming. In order to reach your students and to really understand them, you need to see into their world and really "get" what they are using in their lives every day. I feel much more comfortable with the idea that students expect their teachers to know about technology, use it in the classroom, and integrate it into lesson plans. Even if I end up working in a school that doesn't have as many technology resources as I would like, there are still many ways that I can use them in the classroom and help my students to really be able to understand how it can help them learn in the now, and beyond.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
"Technology as a Fence and a Bridge"
This week, I have chosen an article entitled "Technology as a Fence and a Bridge" for my literature review. I chose this because it really talks about how using technology in the classroom is not simply a technological revoluation; it is a social revolution. These students have grown up with technology in their lives--"digital natives"--and that is not going to change. What does this do to teachers? Classrooms? Education? When one can find all the information they need in their living room, does it make these traditional learning channels irrelevant and useless?
In my mind, it doesn't; however, as the article states, we have to understand and embrace these things. Social networking, ipods, cell phones. These things are what are important to today's students, and yet instead of accepting and understanding them, they are being banned. How are we to reach out to students and teach them, it asks, if we are not even trying to take interest in what their lives are now about?
The author Bryan Wehrli talks about technology as transformative disruption. This isn't a bad thing--disruption creates change, and this is exactly what schools and clasrooms need. It is this disruption that is causing so many to re-examine classrooms and realize that the same model that has been used for 100 years is no longer the best way to teach this generation. It isn't just about technology--it's about individualized needs of students, it's about student-centered learning--things that work in the classroom. If it's taken the disruption of technology for people to examine these things, then maybe it's an even better thing than we thought.
Reference: Technology as a Fence and a Bridge, Author(s): Bryan Wehrli
Source: Horace Summer 2009, Vol. 25 No. 1
http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/cespr/view/ces_res/615
In my mind, it doesn't; however, as the article states, we have to understand and embrace these things. Social networking, ipods, cell phones. These things are what are important to today's students, and yet instead of accepting and understanding them, they are being banned. How are we to reach out to students and teach them, it asks, if we are not even trying to take interest in what their lives are now about?
The author Bryan Wehrli talks about technology as transformative disruption. This isn't a bad thing--disruption creates change, and this is exactly what schools and clasrooms need. It is this disruption that is causing so many to re-examine classrooms and realize that the same model that has been used for 100 years is no longer the best way to teach this generation. It isn't just about technology--it's about individualized needs of students, it's about student-centered learning--things that work in the classroom. If it's taken the disruption of technology for people to examine these things, then maybe it's an even better thing than we thought.
Reference: Technology as a Fence and a Bridge, Author(s): Bryan Wehrli
Source: Horace Summer 2009, Vol. 25 No. 1
http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/cespr/view/ces_res/615
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Lit Review: Factors affecting technology integration in K-12
This week in class, I read a journal article entitled Factors affecting technology integration in K-12
classrooms: a path model, by Fethi A. Inan and Deborah L. Lowther. It was very interesting, discussing the research they did involving what, why and how teachers and students are affected by technology integration.
They looked at three broad categories: technology for instructional preparation, technology for instructional
delivery, and technology as a learning tool. They looked at factors that could be considered as positive or negative in regards to their technology integration in the classroom, including age, number of years teaching, computer proficiency, teachers' beliefs, technical and overall support, availability of computers, etc.
The thing I found most interesting in their research is they found that "when teachers’ years of experience
increase, their feelings of readiness to integrate technology decreases." Also, as one would imagine, teachers' readiness to integrate technology stemmed from technology availability, as well as overall support from the school. However, computer access is necessary, but not sufficient, to establish integration. Their research also said that "Teachers’ computer proficiency positively influenced teacher readiness and beliefs, which in turn influenced technology integration."
So what does this all mean? Well, schools need to train their teachers and make them comfortable with all the current technology and make sure they feel prepared and ready to use technology in the classroom. Not only must they train their teachers regularly, but they must also make sure that teachers are trained immediately when they enter the school, as this research shows that the more years experience one has, the less confident they feel about integrating technology into the classroom.
This makes me feel confident that I am getting the current training I will need now, and I look forward to learning more and being able to learn how to use it in the classroom.
References
Inan, F., & Lowther, D. (2010). Factors Affecting Technology Integration in K-12 Classrooms: A Path Model. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(2), 137-154. Retrieved from ERIC database.
classrooms: a path model, by Fethi A. Inan and Deborah L. Lowther. It was very interesting, discussing the research they did involving what, why and how teachers and students are affected by technology integration.
They looked at three broad categories: technology for instructional preparation, technology for instructional
delivery, and technology as a learning tool. They looked at factors that could be considered as positive or negative in regards to their technology integration in the classroom, including age, number of years teaching, computer proficiency, teachers' beliefs, technical and overall support, availability of computers, etc.
The thing I found most interesting in their research is they found that "when teachers’ years of experience
increase, their feelings of readiness to integrate technology decreases." Also, as one would imagine, teachers' readiness to integrate technology stemmed from technology availability, as well as overall support from the school. However, computer access is necessary, but not sufficient, to establish integration. Their research also said that "Teachers’ computer proficiency positively influenced teacher readiness and beliefs, which in turn influenced technology integration."
So what does this all mean? Well, schools need to train their teachers and make them comfortable with all the current technology and make sure they feel prepared and ready to use technology in the classroom. Not only must they train their teachers regularly, but they must also make sure that teachers are trained immediately when they enter the school, as this research shows that the more years experience one has, the less confident they feel about integrating technology into the classroom.
This makes me feel confident that I am getting the current training I will need now, and I look forward to learning more and being able to learn how to use it in the classroom.
References
Inan, F., & Lowther, D. (2010). Factors Affecting Technology Integration in K-12 Classrooms: A Path Model. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(2), 137-154. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Equal Access: What does it mean?
Last week in class, we discussed the topic of equal access to technology in the schools and in the classroom for students. We discussed it in class with a few different groups of people to get different ideas going. People have different ideas of what "equal access" means: some people I spoke with felt that teachers should not assign homework that students who don't have computers at their home could not do, while others felt that they should be given free periods during school to do technology-related homework.
To me, this is not equal access. Equal access is exactly what it looks like: making sure that every student has the resources they need when in the school environment. Unfortunately, as teachers and administrators, it is not possible to control or regulate what students have access to or what their parents do. All we can do as educators is make sure that we are there to help them if they need it, and to give them every opportunity during school hours to use technology. There are public libraries, homes of relatives and friends, and free periods during school which all students are able to use. In this age of technology, I do not think teachers should have to tip toe around the fact that not everyone has a computer in their home. The truth is, technology is everywhere--if it's not in your home, you can find free access very easily. As long as you help your students get to that resource, you are doing your job.
When I was in elementary school, computers were just beginning to be a regular fixture in American homes. I remember we were required to type up a paper--this was a huge deal. Many of us had never used computers, and almost no one had computers in their homes. However, we were given ample preparation time for the project, and lots of opportunites to work on it. I went to my neighbor's house and typed up my report. Until we got a computer at my home, that's what I did. Teachers today are still going to give students plenty of time to do large projects--using a public computer is perfectly acceptable for students to have access.
I also believe that "equal access" is giving students the opportunity to learn about all of these programs and tools that they will be expected to know how to use and navigate after they are done school, regardless of whether or not they had a computer in their homes growing up. As educators, it is our responsibility to give our students the opportunity to learn about these things to prepare them for their careers. There are computer labs in the schools they are able to use to practice these programs and tools, as well.
As long as students are getting all the help they need in the school and access to the resources they need to grow and improve, educators are doing the best they can without regulating students' personal lives.
To me, this is not equal access. Equal access is exactly what it looks like: making sure that every student has the resources they need when in the school environment. Unfortunately, as teachers and administrators, it is not possible to control or regulate what students have access to or what their parents do. All we can do as educators is make sure that we are there to help them if they need it, and to give them every opportunity during school hours to use technology. There are public libraries, homes of relatives and friends, and free periods during school which all students are able to use. In this age of technology, I do not think teachers should have to tip toe around the fact that not everyone has a computer in their home. The truth is, technology is everywhere--if it's not in your home, you can find free access very easily. As long as you help your students get to that resource, you are doing your job.
When I was in elementary school, computers were just beginning to be a regular fixture in American homes. I remember we were required to type up a paper--this was a huge deal. Many of us had never used computers, and almost no one had computers in their homes. However, we were given ample preparation time for the project, and lots of opportunites to work on it. I went to my neighbor's house and typed up my report. Until we got a computer at my home, that's what I did. Teachers today are still going to give students plenty of time to do large projects--using a public computer is perfectly acceptable for students to have access.
I also believe that "equal access" is giving students the opportunity to learn about all of these programs and tools that they will be expected to know how to use and navigate after they are done school, regardless of whether or not they had a computer in their homes growing up. As educators, it is our responsibility to give our students the opportunity to learn about these things to prepare them for their careers. There are computer labs in the schools they are able to use to practice these programs and tools, as well.
As long as students are getting all the help they need in the school and access to the resources they need to grow and improve, educators are doing the best they can without regulating students' personal lives.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
ETT21 #135: Jonathan E. Martin on Building the 21st Century School
EdTechTalk
Another assignment for the week was to listen to a podcast from the EdTechTalk website. I chose a conversation with Jonathan E. Martin on buildling the 21st school. I chose it because I thought it would be interesting, as it said he would be reflecting on his first year in working as Head of School at a prep school in Tucson, AZ.
One of the questions they asked him was, "What is the definition of 21st century learning?" I was very happy with his answer, because he made it very clear that a 21st century school is not just about technology: technology is a big part of it, but it is not all. He explained that it is really about making this generation of students able to be creative problem solvers, collaborators, and learning those skills that will really be able to prepare them for today's world.
He also talks about how teachers are embracing the 21st century learning and how he rewards them, putting his "money on the best horses." For those teachers who really are trying to grow and change the way they teach, he makes sure to urge and encourage their projects on, and invest in those "leading-edge teachers," as he calls them. For those who are dead set on continuing to teach as they always have, he lets them do so, but continues to try and get them to jump on the wagon. He also says there's nothing wrong with "direct instruction," but it should be supplemented with projects and challenging problems, and really made to fit with how the students want to learn.
As an education student, I am a little nervous to walk into a classroom as a teacher because I have a feeling I will not recognize the classroom. It is going to be completely different from what I learned in as a younger student. I am trying to keep an open mind and learn as much as possible about how these classrooms will ideally look and function in the next few years when I step into the teaching role. It is encouraging to see teachers who have been in the field for some time and are older than me completely embracing these "new" 21st century classrooms and using to their advantage as well as the students'.
Another assignment for the week was to listen to a podcast from the EdTechTalk website. I chose a conversation with Jonathan E. Martin on buildling the 21st school. I chose it because I thought it would be interesting, as it said he would be reflecting on his first year in working as Head of School at a prep school in Tucson, AZ.
One of the questions they asked him was, "What is the definition of 21st century learning?" I was very happy with his answer, because he made it very clear that a 21st century school is not just about technology: technology is a big part of it, but it is not all. He explained that it is really about making this generation of students able to be creative problem solvers, collaborators, and learning those skills that will really be able to prepare them for today's world.
He also talks about how teachers are embracing the 21st century learning and how he rewards them, putting his "money on the best horses." For those teachers who really are trying to grow and change the way they teach, he makes sure to urge and encourage their projects on, and invest in those "leading-edge teachers," as he calls them. For those who are dead set on continuing to teach as they always have, he lets them do so, but continues to try and get them to jump on the wagon. He also says there's nothing wrong with "direct instruction," but it should be supplemented with projects and challenging problems, and really made to fit with how the students want to learn.
As an education student, I am a little nervous to walk into a classroom as a teacher because I have a feeling I will not recognize the classroom. It is going to be completely different from what I learned in as a younger student. I am trying to keep an open mind and learn as much as possible about how these classrooms will ideally look and function in the next few years when I step into the teaching role. It is encouraging to see teachers who have been in the field for some time and are older than me completely embracing these "new" 21st century classrooms and using to their advantage as well as the students'.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Using E-Books to Motivate Pupils Writing: A K12 Online Conference Presentation
As one of our assignments this week, we had to choose a video from the K12 Online Conference archive and reflect on it. Because my interest is in Language Arts and writing, the title for this video caught my attention. While this presenter teaches at the elementary level (my certification level is 7-12), it is still an interesting presentation and can really be applied to any grade level.
E-Books are a way to archive students work, as well as put it online for presentation purposes. Putting these projects online, for the world to see, really motivates someone to put in their best effort as well as show off what they are able to do. Family members have a chance to see the work, and it's easy for the teachers and the students to use, according to presenter Colin Hill.
I think this is a great way to integrate technology into a classroom--not only for ease on the teacher and students' ends, but also as a sense of pride for the students. Their work is being put on the world wide web for everyone to see, it's a great creative outlet and a great way to combine units into one larger project with one "big idea," if you need something to tie several lessons together. At the elementary level, it's pretty easy to see how this could be used. At the high school level, I can see this being used to bring together different aspects of a novel--I'll use The Great Gatsby as an example, since I love it. Tying together the history of the time when Gatsby was written, the music from the period, the characters of the novel, popular culture, etc., an E-Book would be a fantastic way to tie together everything that was learned while reading the novel.
I've posted below a link to this particular presentation to check out if you'd like:
Using E-Books to Motivate Pupils Writing
E-Books are a way to archive students work, as well as put it online for presentation purposes. Putting these projects online, for the world to see, really motivates someone to put in their best effort as well as show off what they are able to do. Family members have a chance to see the work, and it's easy for the teachers and the students to use, according to presenter Colin Hill.
I think this is a great way to integrate technology into a classroom--not only for ease on the teacher and students' ends, but also as a sense of pride for the students. Their work is being put on the world wide web for everyone to see, it's a great creative outlet and a great way to combine units into one larger project with one "big idea," if you need something to tie several lessons together. At the elementary level, it's pretty easy to see how this could be used. At the high school level, I can see this being used to bring together different aspects of a novel--I'll use The Great Gatsby as an example, since I love it. Tying together the history of the time when Gatsby was written, the music from the period, the characters of the novel, popular culture, etc., an E-Book would be a fantastic way to tie together everything that was learned while reading the novel.
I've posted below a link to this particular presentation to check out if you'd like:
Using E-Books to Motivate Pupils Writing
Monday, October 4, 2010
Digital Nation
Digital Nation
This video was assigned to us in our online class this past week. It's a full-fledged documentary (about an hour and a half long) and it brings up a lot of interesting points. As someone who feels stuck between this digital age and "the old days," I am really fascinated to hear about this new generation that has grown up never knowing anything other than always being connected. According to this video, I am an "immigrant" to this world: as connected as I feel, I'm not a digital native like these young people. ...That makes me feel old.
The section on the middle school in the Bronx fascinated me. It doesn't surprise me one bit that after getting laptops and access to technology in school that they were more engaged and gang activity went down. The projects that were being done with technology are just more engaging for students, and technology is enhancing their learning of the material.
On the flip side...the next section talks about how students are becoming "dumber." Their academic capabilities aren't the same as they used to be. Teachers cannot assign novels longer than 200 pages because student simply don't have the attention span and won't read it. Students no longer write essays...they write in paragraphs. They are too distracted, too busy, to sit down and write more than one paragraph at a time. This is the negative of the digital nation, and this is what worries me. Why can we not have the best of both worlds--the positives we are seeing at places like the middle school in the Bronx, but also still being able to write and read a book proficiently?
There will always be positives and negatives--it all depends on how you let it into your life. I feel grateful that I am at an age where I have been able to embrace technology and it has affected my life greatly, but that I know what it is like to live without it--there was life before technology, and it was pretty good. We all got along without it. But that was in a different time, with a different generation. I am trying to embrace the fact that there are people who don't know what that's like.
This video was assigned to us in our online class this past week. It's a full-fledged documentary (about an hour and a half long) and it brings up a lot of interesting points. As someone who feels stuck between this digital age and "the old days," I am really fascinated to hear about this new generation that has grown up never knowing anything other than always being connected. According to this video, I am an "immigrant" to this world: as connected as I feel, I'm not a digital native like these young people. ...That makes me feel old.
The section on the middle school in the Bronx fascinated me. It doesn't surprise me one bit that after getting laptops and access to technology in school that they were more engaged and gang activity went down. The projects that were being done with technology are just more engaging for students, and technology is enhancing their learning of the material.
On the flip side...the next section talks about how students are becoming "dumber." Their academic capabilities aren't the same as they used to be. Teachers cannot assign novels longer than 200 pages because student simply don't have the attention span and won't read it. Students no longer write essays...they write in paragraphs. They are too distracted, too busy, to sit down and write more than one paragraph at a time. This is the negative of the digital nation, and this is what worries me. Why can we not have the best of both worlds--the positives we are seeing at places like the middle school in the Bronx, but also still being able to write and read a book proficiently?
There will always be positives and negatives--it all depends on how you let it into your life. I feel grateful that I am at an age where I have been able to embrace technology and it has affected my life greatly, but that I know what it is like to live without it--there was life before technology, and it was pretty good. We all got along without it. But that was in a different time, with a different generation. I am trying to embrace the fact that there are people who don't know what that's like.
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