Tech Resource Review_5

 Article Review:

"Technology for Teaching"
By Scott Steinberg, Huffington Post (2013)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/technology-for-teaching-1_b_2614699.html

This article begins, "Teachers are at the forefront of kids' educational experiences" and indeed, teachers are the face that kids see for a large chunk of their day, and their entire week.  The other "face" that children see is a digital one: the screen of a computer, laptop, phone, iPad, TV.   Technology is becoming more an more prevalent in kids' lives.  With that in mind, it is important that teachers play to this growing attention-grabber.

"Technology for Teaching" suggests 10 strategies for the most effective teaching in today's day and age:

1. Embrace Connected Learning:  This doesn't just mean virtual connection.  It implies linking home with school, the child with his or her interests, the teacher with the student...through an interdisciplinary and differentiated approach to teaching and engaging students through multiple modes.

2. Share Content Online- Fill parents in by posting class photos and projects to a private website.

3.  Have fun with Twitter

4.  Use Video Chats- connect with other educators in far-away places, meet with parents who are unable to come for a conference due to business travel, etc.

5. Create a Class Blog or Wiki - "Encourage kids to respond to in-class lessons or current events and topics, and devise a system for posting thoughts, news or impressions of them to a class blog or Wiki"

6. Put Together a Podcast - Record the kids doing book reviews, news reports, research presentations, etc.

7. Use Pinterest - "Create a private board on Pinterest to share snapshots of classroom activities, projects, and field trips, or encourage parents to connect and find ways to help show their support for the classroom."

8. Create Interactive Maps - "Whether it's marking locations of family trips, tracking the progress of Flat Stanley with the official App or simply identifying state capitals, consider using an interactive map to which children can pin their thoughts or exploits."


9. Harness the Power of Excel - Help kids to develop their excel skills early as well as practice math, computer, and other life skills.

10. Promote Greater Good- Give the class a charity goal to strive for: "[C]lassrooms can use online tools to solicit and track charitable donations, or spread awareness for these causes.

Overall, technology provides teachers and students with an outlet for collaboration and connectivity in both the literal and figurative sense of bringing people together.  Teachers can further engage their class and connect with parents by using tech tools that are popular at the time.  I recommend reading this article and exploring the technology referenced in order to further investigate the benefits of technology in the classroom, as well as to form your own opinions on possible opportunities to use it to enhance the learning experience.
 

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E-Book Review:

Nickerson, Raymond S.; Zodhiates, Philip P. (2013). Technology in Education : Looking Toward 2020. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com


http://fairfield.eblib.com.libdb.fairfield.edu/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1074569&echo=1&userid=ZtynJ%2bY4MdSw1%2fRYAlU4EQ%3d%3d&tstamp=1429468641&id=BA5A7E62B1CF8D4B0B585FF91E0658D0EA8BE3A7

In the first essay of this book, Raymond S. Nickerson of BNN Laboratories looks a possible futures of technology and its potential impact on our lives.  The focus year is 2020, at which point researchers propose that our society will be highly dependent on machines.  Nickerson outlines the characteristic of being educated that our future in technology has the potential to greatly impact, specifically acquiring domain-specific knowledge, developing students' ability to think, and fostering the ability and desire to learn (3-4).  Nickerson goes on to comment on technology's growing potential to facilitate instruction and learning (7).  He asks and leaves unanswered many questions about technology and how society will realize its potential.  He leaves off by stating broadly, "The future, and in particular, the future of our education, will be what we make it" (Nickerson 9).

Thus, the future of technology and its potential to help or hurt education is our responsibility.  The educators in the world must educate not only schools and society about the possibilities of various technologies, but also they must educate themselves so as not to get scooped up in the whirlwind of technological changes.  I strongly recommend this book, as it is valuable to look at the current projections for our future classrooms.  The book, which was written in 2013, might even have "mistakes" according to the directions technology and/or our education may have already taken!

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Movie Review:

Videos on the Potential Future of Technology in the Classroom...

Technology in Education: A Future Classroom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ73ZsBkcus

Microsoft Vision of the Classroom of the Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJu6GvA7jN8

Future Learning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC_T9ePzANg

These three videos embody the potential future of our classrooms.  What the videos really show, though, is an aim to really cater to students- their needs, levels, and abilities.  The futuristic devices and classroom set ups displayed in these videos shows that our mindset is directed toward not only efficiency and productivity but also individualization and accessibility.  While many of these  advancements will one day be a reality, it is paramount that we, as educators first and technologically-savvy masters second, do not lose sight of the student as the focus of our improvements.  

In the last video, Future Learning, Seth Weinberger, Founder and Executive Director: Innovations for Learning says, "In order for educational technology to be successful in the classroom, we're going to have to marry the ecosystem of the way technology works with the ecosystem of the classroom itself.  The goal of this is to get teachers doing higher order things and let the computers do the more basic things of 2+2=4, and all of the practice that is necessary" (5:23).  Our goal is to create and fun, relaxed, educational environment with applications and tools that actively engage students, encourage them to create knowledge, and to understand the purpose of the material.  Students learn easiest in a "dimension of collaboration" (Richard Lang, Founder of Democrasoft).  Therefore, the future of educational technology is a collective effort toward overall enhancement of the experience of learning in a classroom setting.


I highly recommend viewing these three, among a plethora of other videos, to become an informed teacher or simply a citizen in a continuously advancing technological world.  The videos blend information, intrigue, and possibility, with futuristic ideas and potential for positive change.  They are thought-provoking and engaging tools to begin to consider what our classrooms and learning experience might be in the years soon to come.

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Article Review:

Generation Tech
Annissa Hambouz and Javaid Khan
23 December 2004 

This New York Times article is a lesson plan to engage students in a learning experience that both asks them to be critical thinkers and to investigate the world of gaming.  Thus, the lesson integrates something familiar for many students (video games) with something new: the concept of business success and success in general.  The activity described includes class discussion, a virtual time capsule, brainstorming, presentation requirements, vocabulary, and writing exercises.  I really value the way technology is integrated so smoothly into this lesson, as it ties together various skills and disciplines.  I think it is very beneficial to at least peruse this lesson plan to see how one teacher has effectively incorporated technology into a lesson in a way that does not focus solely on the technology, but rather sprawls across multiple disciplines and skill sets.  In particular, the homework and the questions for further discussion show the breadth of knowledge this lesson provides:


4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: When groups have completed their entries, they may present them in class or at a school-wide forum, and/or post the complete time capsule to the school’s Web site.
As a follow-up assignment, students interview adults, including their parents and other relatives, neighbors, etc. about their understanding of some of the new technology discussed in class and write up their interviews in question-and-answer format. Encourage students to submit the interviews to the school newspaper, and/or add them to the archived time capsule on the school Web site. Interview questions should include the following:

-What do you think about video games, and about [two or three of the products reviewed in class]?
-To the teacher: What products did you use when you were my age instead of these products?
-Did your own parents or grandparents have a difficult time understanding or accepting technology that was new to your generation? If so, what types of technology, and how did they respond?

Further Questions for Discussion:
-Do you play video games? Why or why not? If so, what type of gaming system(s) do you use, and how often do you play? If not, why not?
-Do you rely on any of the forms of technology discussed in class in your daily life? If so, which one(s), and why?
-What would you do if, for example, the Internet (or another important and frequently used technology) suddenly ceased to exist?

Lastly, the lesson is beneficial in that it satisfies common core standards 

(i.e. for 6-8th graders: 

Technology Standard 3- Understands the relationships among science, technology, society, and the individual. 

Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes.

Language Arts Standard 8- Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning.)

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2004/12/23/generation-tech/ 

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Article Review:

Reaching Math Students One by One 
Tina Rosenburg, The New York Times
13 March 2015

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/reaching-math-students-one-by-one/?_r=0

Teachers at a high poverty school in Brooklyn, M.S. 88, implemented a program called "School of One" to better facilitate individualized math lessons to each child's personal level.  The program is highly focused on the use of laptops for each student in the class, so each child has a series of gradually more difficult lessons catered for him.  Even more, the program involves group work, worksheets, and teacher-guided and online lessons that are catered to each level of difficulty.  While potential deterrents are the high start-up costs (i.e. for laptops, screens, tables, and other necessary classroom supplies) and the studies that show the lessons do not save much time, there are various potential benefits.  For instance, at the end of the day, students complete a short exit quiz, which the computer then processes and produces a schedule for the student and teacher the next day.  Some students commented on the highly-tech oriented program: “'It engages kids... You don’t get bored listening to the teachers. And the computers make it more fun."  Overall, this is a valuable technology-based program to implement into math curricula for the benefit of the student, who is in fact a unique individual who deserves personalized attention when there is an opportunity for it!  I recommend checking it out to see if it would benefit students you know!

ATTN: Teachers!

April 14, 2015

Our class met in a computer lab to discuss research resources for teachers when they find technology to introduce to their classrooms.

So, what do you do when you've found a new tech tool and you'd like your principal to endorse it for your classroom and/or school?

1. You gain experience with the tool to make sure it's what you want.
2. You research the tool.
3. You ensure the benefits outweigh any potential cost.

---

1. The tool my group chose is called "Mindomo," which is a virtual mind mapping tool.

We presented the tool as a valuable classroom addition for Writing Workshop brainstorming, science experiment organization, history research, etc.  The tool is easy to use, as there are video tutorials and also simple pop up instructions.  It would be most effective in 3rd grade - 6th grade as a tool to model effective pre-writing brainstorming.  The teacher might even think of demonstrating use of the tool on a smart board.

2. We used eric.ed.edu as well as our current library database (Dimenna-Nyselius) to find the following articles on mind mapping and Mindomo.

One outlines the benefits of mind mapping, itself, while the other goes into detail on Mindomo.


Goodnough, K. & Woods, R. (2002). Student and Teacher Perceptions of Mind Mapping: A Middle School Case Study. Eric Educational Research Meeting. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED470970.pdf

Adam, A., & Mowers, H. (2007). Get inside their heads with mind mapping. School Library Journal, 53(9), 24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211820686?accountid=10796 

3. This tech tool is FREE and if it works well and everyone likes it, the school can upgrade to premium.

Documentary: "Generation Like"

"Generation Like" PBS Frontline (2014)
http://www.pbs/wgbh/pages/frontline/generation-like/

This documentary on the power of social media is shockingly true.  I see the impact of the seemingly powerless "like" on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  It is the "social currency" of our generation.  After all, "what you like is broadcast to the world as part of your identity - you are what you "like."  Liking" something on social media  requires only the click of a button to connect you to other "likers' around the world.  Marketers have caught onto this fad and used it to their advantage.  Kids become more than just consumers as they continue liking, and therefore, marketing, products.  They become unpaid workers to promote brands.  This speaks to the issue of "big data."  Are companies overstepping their boundaries?  Should consumers be compensated if they reach a certain level of promoting a brand/product?

On a personal level, social media buffs often fall into what I like to call the "like trap."  Their self esteem fluctuates based on how many like their Facebook profile, Instagram post, Twitter post receive.  I know college students who will delete an Instagram post after only a few hours if it doesn't receive an anticipated number of "likes." 


"Likes" only go so far.  The younger "likers" of Generation Like have been pulled into the rip tide of social media manipulation.  Where...and how...do we draw the line?

Forum: "Add Tests and Stir"

"Add Tests and Stir: Education Reform in the 21st Century"
March 31, 2015
Fairfield University

Speakers:

Wendy Lecker
Senior Attorney, Education
Law Center, New Jersey

Jonathan Pelto
Former Deputy Majority Leader
CT House of Representatives

Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Madison, CT

Yohuru Williams, PhD
Associate Vice President
Academic Affairs, Fairfield University

So, we're in the midst of a great social reformation.  In this time of tremendous change, Tom Scarice emphasized that we should "never stop asking the hard questions."  The hard questions at the core of this education forum centered on the topic of standardized testing.  Is it helping or hurting our schools?  More importantly, are we investing our time in test scores: mere numbers, when we should be focusing on learning, individualized achievement, and fostering creativity?

Wendy Lecker pointed out that standardized tests have nothing to do with children's lives.  She went on to ad a tinge of humor within a hard truth: "The goal is not to win some imaginary contest with China."  Rather, it is our job as educators to foster responsible citizens who have been exposed to an array of experiences that will enrich their lives.  Theater, dance, art, music, athletics, literature, poetry... We must integrate worthy substance into the classroom for children to concentrate on, engage with, and experience.  

The great orator and Civil Rights Activist, Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, "Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."  Our highly strenuous and intense focus on raising test scores is not building character.  It's squelching the arts and the students.

This is not to say that we should rule out all benchmark tests, but perhaps there is a better way to approach them with a better balance, and an attention to the children's core needs as developing members of our society.

In the News:
What Happens When Students Boycott a Standardized Test?

(April 9, 2015) The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/04/what-happens-when-students-boycott-a-standardized-test/390087/ 

SMART Boards: The New Chalkboard

Smart boards!

Smart boards are interactive display boards on which a teacher can both draw and project computer images and presentations.  There are various tools within the workbook program to help the teacher to create dynamic presentations.  These range from varying fonts, colors, clip art, and even an option to animate objects.

The Smart board is considered an interactive white board to further foster technology as an engaging feature in the classroom.  Rather than pull down the projector, the teacher can still write on the board while showing a presentation on the Smart board.

Overall, I found the work book feature very self-explanatory and much like Microsoft Word.  One interesting activity might be to have students create their book report visuals on a document to then display on the Smart board for their presentation.

Poll where? Poll Everywhere!

Poll Everywhere!

https://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/I2uR4JsE939AmHO

This survey tool would be helpful to anonymously poll students in a class.  I found it easy to use and even fun to text my answer and see it come up on the Smart board! If students have a craving to use some kind of technology in the classroom (i.e. smart phones), this tech tool might assuage it.

There are a variety of types of survey one can create: multiple choice, true/false, open-ended, etc.   While this tool seems like it would be a beneficial way to incorporate an engaging technology into the classroom, a downfall is the potential for students to take advantage of their time on the Smart phones.  Even I found myself distracted as texts and emails popped when we tried out the tool.  I suppose it would be fun to at least try out for a classroom or even school-wide survey.  I see potential in it even as a way to brainstorm ideas for writing!

Edmodo

A Digital Classroom Folder: Edmodo
 
Edmodo is structured similar to the social media site, Facebook, so many students and teachers alike would be familiar and able to navigate it with ease.

I have an Edmodo account for another class and although I do not enjoy using it, I can see its potential value to store and share documents, videos, and projects with a class and parents.  A teacher could post homework assignments, video clips of the class, and other class-related items to provide students, parents, and even a review board with a digital documentation of the class's progress throughout the year.