Directions: You will choose one current, or emerging technology, or Internet resource, and incorporate it into a lesson using a constructivist approach. Your final project needs to include the following:
A brief statement of your goal for this lesson.
A description of your school setting as it relates to your lesson, including curriculum requirements, technology access, the number of students involved and anything about your students that would be relevant.
Three of the standards (state or national) the lesson will address.
A description of the existing lesson, or proposed lesson, that you’ll be infusing additional technology into, including goals, time frame, class groupings, technology used.
The questions you will pose to your students and the tasks you will ask them to do. This is the most important part of your project and will demonstrate your creativity and imagination. You will reference the specific use of the technology or Internet resource, and how your students will do their information gathering, research and problem solving. Include annotated links where needed to cite resources.
A sample project. This will be created by you, and will serve as a model for your students. The link to the project, or the attached document, must be included in your project.
Include at least 2 screen shots or other images. Annotated references should be listed at the end.
Originally aired in 2002, this episode contains stories about people who were told that they're different. But what is 'different' really? Sometimes different can bring unique a perspective to a situation, sometimes different is difficult to understand, and sometimes different can be a complete mystery to all involved.
Directions: You will be on a debate team and will argue, either pro or con, the statement: "Handheld Mobile Devices Should be Banned in Schools Say No to BYOD! (Bring Your Own Device)" We will use VoiceThread to conduct the debate. Each team will consist of a team captain who will provide the opening statement, 3 topic presenters, 3 rebuttal presenters, and a closing statement presenter. Statements are to be around 3 minutes in length and include specific examples to support your position, including quotations from sources when appropriate.
NOTE: Because I'm not the owner of this thread, I am unable to access the permissions for public viewing, so you may or may not be able to view the contents below, sorry!
Directions: Investigate an example of cloud computing and gather the following information: cloud URL, service cost (if any), major features, assess with respect to the learning curve for teachers and/or students, and the potential uses for the classroom.
Free Version: A basic Dropbox account gives you 2 GB of cloud storage for free. You can upgrade to 100 GB of cloud storage at a cost of $9.99 per month, and 200 GB for $19.99 per month. *NOTE: Once you sign up, there is a “Get Free Space” section where you have several opportunities to increase your initial cloud storage space for free by completing tasks such as referring a friend, connecting to Facebook, following Dropbox on Twitter, etc.
Dropbox Web Portal
Features: Dropbox is a combination of cloud storage and file syncing and completes both tasks at the same time. First, they make it easy for you to take files and even whole folders and sync them up to the cloud. Once syncing to the cloud is complete, those same files and folders will be accessible from the web and any device you have also setup Dropbox on. Their web interface is accessible from all major web browser Apps, and is downloadable to both Windows and Mac OSX operating systems. Additionally, Dropbox provides support for several mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry.
Learning Curve: The demo movie on the Dropbox homepage looks like it came from the people at Common Craft and does a nice job of explaining what the service does and how. It takes just a few minutes to create an account at Dropbox.com, and the application download is just under 22 MB in size. Once setup is complete, creating folders within your Dropbox folder is no different than any other place on your computer and adding files is as easy as drag-&-drop.
Some additional features include:
Dropbox on the iPad
Dropbox will notify you whenever a file or folder has been added, removed, or modified when syncing to the cloud.
You have the ability to share a folder within your Dropbox with other Dropbox users through an email invite.
Within your Dropbox there is a ‘Public’ folder provided. Place a file or folder in this location, then right-click on the item to have Dropbox generate a public link that you can then share with users regardless if they are Dropbox users or not. This link gives them access to the file/folder and this item only. The rest of your Dropbox contents remain private and secure.
Potential Uses in the Classroom:
This is an easy and free option that will allow teachers to achieve the “Save in 3’s” recommendation for file storage (1 on your computer, 1 on an external device, 1 in the cloud).
If you don’t have a laptop and wish you could access files from both your school and home computers then Dropbox says, “Problem solved.”
If you were to pair Dropbox with the add-on DROPitTOme, then you now have access to a public file drop that students could use to turn in their assignments and they will immediately be sync’d to the cloud, downloaded to your computer, and accessible from your mobile device. I believe this service has huge potential for the classroom, allowing teachers to forgo passing around a pen drive or external hard drive except for large multimedia projects. Teachers could add a link to their DROPitTOme portal on their website, then students could turn in homework while at school or from home, as long as they have Internet access.
Directions: Provide an example of something that inspires you to connect it to QR Codes. Then, describe how you would use the QR code in this situation. Finally, create your own QR Code and upload it along with a description of how you would use it in the classroom.
2. How I would use the QR Code: When I saw slide 13 I thought about how helpful a QR code could be if it could relay information to a traveler audibly and in their language. Enter QR Voice, which allows you to connect short phrases to the QR code so that when scanned will speak the phrase. The site is not a translator, so if you want the code to say something in Spanish, for example, you would need to provide the Spanish translation. However, selecting Spanish as the language will have the phrase spoken with a Spanish accent and attempts to use proper inflection. The site lists 40 language accents to choose from, and can accomodate up to 96 characters (if my counting is correct). I see this tool playing a valuable role in foreign language classes to help students connect vocabulary and phrases in written form with how they sound when spoken. Having these codes up in important places could also help ELL students who are working on their English language skills.
It is disappointing when a service we get to know and used to using is discontinued by the provider; iGoogle is one such example. Thankfully, Richard Byrne’s blog is an excellent resource for finding alternative resources and services. iGoogle is a popular organizational tool used by both my teachers and students in the 1to1 laptop program, so Richard’s blog post will be a valuable communique to forward to them.
Guest blogger Cristina Conciatori, a Biology and Chemistry teacher in New York, talks about the the debate between traditional and digital textbooks and how you can make the transition to digital a little bit easier.
Blogger Richard Byrne shares his RSS feed list that he checks on a regular basis and uses as a source for his own blog topics. Richard divides the list into feeds that focus on education topics and those that deal with technology integration.
Directions: Think about a Google Lit Trip that you would create for YOUR students and report on it.
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1. A Google Lit Trip that inspired me: My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier
2. The book that I would write a Lit Trip for is: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham.
3. Besides sending my students to the locations…there are a lot of possibilities for extensions and other innovations. Students could do research on the various tools that Nat Bowditch uses in the story, investigating whether or not they are still used today and if not, what tool(s) have replaced them. After reading each chapter, students could go to a WallWisher page and brainstorm different titles for the chapter and explain how that came up with them. Students could also select a character from the book and create a Historical Facebook profile page, where in addition to entering in biographical data they would have to determine what social groups they would belong to, who would be in their ‘friend’ list, and several examples of posts we might see on their Facebook wall.
2. Explanation:
There is a lot of potential in creating your own Google Earth Tour with special consideration needed since your presentation relies heavily on visual imagery. I found myself spending a good deal of time (maybe too much time) on the zoom and orientation for each of my place markers. I also thought that this could be influenced based on what types of locations you are visiting (natural formations versus man-made or are there 3-D effects available at the sites?). In any case, I think this is a valuable tool for a teacher’s toolbox as another format for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding through technology integration.
3. Ideas for the classroom:
As I wrapped up my tour, I wondered if our 7th grade science classes could use Google Earth Tours for their Life Signs projects. Students travel out to local streams, rivers, and tidal pools collecting samples of the biological organisms present for analysis. Students could document these field trips and include images from their visits, links to podcasts or movies documenting their cataloging of the biological samples, and comparisons to previous years results.
Math classes could use Google Earth Tours and the 3-D Buildings layer with their geometry studies. Students can search the globe for buildings that show certain geometric shapes and discuss why they were incorporated into building designs.
Science classes could create Tours not just on Earth but in the Google Sky, Moon, and Mars. Students could plot out the landing locations of probes and any distances they traveled while there. Students could create a fictional vacation tour for the Moon or Mars, highlighting the planetary features that any tourist will want to see during their visit.
Directions: In this activity we will be exploring many ways that mobile devices can be used to access information, communicate, share audio and visual files, and enhance classroom lessons. We will be focusing on creative and forward thinking possibilities. This is a “jig saw” approach to an activity. Instead of all of you researching and reading all five topics, each group will become experts at one topic.
In today's 21st Century Classroom, a critical component in this skill base is that of digital storytelling. We have the technology to create and tell stories in a wide variety of ways, with new techniques and tools emerging all the time. Our project looks at podcasting and the speed with which this form of communication has spread. And, we figured what better way to explore podcasts and podcasting than to make one ourselves!
Please use this link to download our 'enhanced' podcast.
Our Show Notes can be accessed via a shared Google Doc by clicking on this link: http://tinyurl.com/7qewva9
Directions: By definition, Emerging Technologies are becoming available all the time, with promising educational possibilities for the classroom and useful tools for your own productivity. Together, we will put together a collection of very brief reports on a variety of gadgets, one for each of you. Sources of information will be websites, blogs, videos, and other resources. This assignment will focus on gadgets and devices, rather than website resources.
4. Description:
Western Digital (WD) has made a name for themselves making external hard drives that are portable, durable, and reliable. The ‘My Passport’ series is designed to be highly portable and provide fast data transfer speeds. Because the My Passport is “bus powered,” meaning it has a single cable for both data and power, it is an attractive choice for laptop owners who need something that doesn’t have extra cables to fumble around with.
5. Classroom Possibilities:
As we continue to innovate and integrate new technologies into the classroom, so too do our students continue to create more and more digital content that we must then collect. Some may argue against a portable hard drive in favor of a USB flash drive because they are small, cheap, and have average storage capacities. The downside of a USB flash drive is they are small (easy to loose), cheap (can break easily), and have average storage capacities (can’t handle a whole classroom of users). A My Passport drive was salvation for me when I assigned my students a project whose final product would be either a podcast or iMovie. These types of media love to eat up storage space, and when I multiplied that by 18-24 students in each of my eight academic blocks it was clear a USB flash drive just wasn’t going to cut it.
Another use to keep in mind is that of for teacher’s personal use in backing up critical files, projects, and other data. The common rule-of-thumb in the digital world today is to have three copies of all of your critical data: i.) on your local computer, ii.) on an external storage device, and iii.) in a virtual storage device (i.e. cloud-computing). As teachers create more media-rich and tech-heavy lessons and activities, they need storage to keep up with the size and complexity of these projects. Finally, both of the major manufacturers of computer operating systems, Apple and Microsoft, have provided built-in backup software into their OS’s that will automatically configure your external hard drive for automatic backups, with plans to provide procedures to destinations in the cloud soon.
6. Screenshot:
7. Additional Resources:
http://www.g-technology.com/
G-Technology provides storage solutions for Windows, Mac, and portable devices via USB 3.0, thunderbolt, and WiFi.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358135,00.asp
From PC Magazine, this article walks you through different drive types, connector and cable options, and how much attention you should pay to drive speed.
http://desktop-external-hard-drive-review.toptenreviews.com/
Top-Ten Reviews provides a side-by-side comparison of 10 of the most popular hard drives currently on the market based on categories such as price, performance, security, ease of use, and design.
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#timemachinebasics
This page contains a video tutorial guide on how to use the application Time Machine which comes pre-installed on all of Apple’s desktop and laptop computers. (2:47)
Directions: Plan to create a cyberbullying "workshop". You will take the information that we have studied and apply it to your situation, whatever that may be. So, you'll be planning a short workshop for any constituency that you choose. As all good workshops, you'll include a plan, a presentation, an activity, and supporting materials (even though I've called this a "workshop," you may choose to do this within your classroom - and in that context, it will feel more like a one or two day class).
*This presentation is designed to be part of a larger curriculum unit currently being refined and polished on Internet Safety. You can view this unit by going to: https://sites.google.com/site/ecomp6106is/
Assignment: Develop talking points presented as Questions & Answers on a topic decided by the group and directed to an audience encompassed by the grade level(s) you work with. Two artifacts are required for this project: 1.) an annotated bibliography, and 2.) a presentation using a web 2.0 tool consisting of 10 Q&A's derived from the resources gathered for your bibliography.
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"Using Online Tools Wisely"
An Annotated Bibliography
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"Email, Cell Phones, & Facebook - OH MY!"
A Question & Answer Presentation for Middle School
A summary of chapter 3, "The Bullied," in the book: The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso for my Masters course on Cyberbullying. This presentation was a collaboration between myself and three of my course colleagues.
Directions: Post a summary and general commentary on one academic source and one popular source on a topic of your choice relating to cyberbullying, Your popular and academic source should be on the same topic and focus on a group that is often targeted.
I was searching for information on Cyberbullying and Gender when I came across this academic article by Rebecca P. Ang and Dion H. Goh. While they do discuss the differences in gender an underlying theme emerged from their research: that of affective and cognitive empathy. As they look at how boys and girls were able to experience the emotions of others (affective) and also their ability to understand the emotions of others (cognitive) they noticed that these two variables did not behave the same between the two genders with respect to likelihood of perpetrating or being victims of cyberbullying. In their results, Ang and Goh stressed the need for students to undergo empathy training in addition to discussions about Internet etiquette and social behavior online. It would appear that the age old adage of taking the time to “walk in another man (or woman)’s shoes” hasn’t diminished in importance with the advent of the Internet. In fact, it may be more important now then ever considering how easy the Internet makes it for us to see others online as just a screen name, avatar, or profile picture instead of a real person.
[for access to the full article on EBSCO Host, click on Google Scholar Search, find the fifth item listed from the top, and click on the Full-Text @ My Library link.]
From Change.org, this article asks the question as to whether the Internet itself is a possible cause for anti-social behavior and the “diminishing a key component of our humanity: empathy.” The article continues by looking at how the Internet affects, for better or worse, the development of the human brain and in particular the anterior cingulate, a region believed to be where empathy and decision-making skills develop. Because the Internet makes it easier for us to dehumanize others based on interactions with usernames, avatars, and digital communication then we are also reducing our empathy “muscle” to spending out energy in other areas of the brain.
I think the big question being asked here is how do we use the Internet to communicate and interact while maintaining the part of ourselves that gives us our humanity, which used to be strengthened and honed through interactions made in-person? Is it simply a matter of taking the time to stop and remind ourselves that behind that words that make up that YouTube comment, tweet, or wall posting is another living, breathing, thinking human being with dreams, desires, and emotions not so dissimilar from our own?
Assignment: Given the 5 portraits, what are the similarities or differences that you find in the 5 cases? What generalizations, if any can you make on cyberbullying based on these 5 cases?
In reading these five portraits, it is easy to become discouraged and even angry when you see the similarities among them and ask, “Why couldn’t we see this coming?” Of course, each of the five portraits has their differences as well, but the same signs are present in each case, although they can often be elusive.
Cyberbullying is a complex issue, much more so than more traditional bullying because for one, it can easily extend beyond any one physical location like a school, playground, or hangout spot. And for every new advancement in technology, regardless of how good the original intentions were, there is the potential for it to be used to further advance the reach and damage that cyberbullying can cause. An example of this became apparent in my school with the introduction of Skype. We had thought of Skype as a great way for students to collaborate on group projects and communicate with experts outside of the classroom walls on topics they were learning about. We weren’t prepared for how easily this technology could be misused and abused to commit acts of cyberbullying.
One similarity I observed across the five portraits is that we as adults tend to fall into the trap of wrongly assuming that these teenagers and pre-teens think and rationalize the same way we do. As the complicated saga of Phoebe Prince illustrates, students say and do things without the benefit of fully understanding the consequences of their words, tones, and actions. Their perceptions are often one-sided and fail to acknowledge the possibility that what they’ve done could be interpreted differently from their original intensions.
Another similarity in the five cases is the role that we as adults play in these unfortunate circumstances. Let’s face it, it’s not easy for adults to gain access to the communication and culture that is student life. In many of the cases the student victim was strong in academics, into athletics and/or extra curricular activities, and a student who we would enjoy having in our classrooms. And yet behind these rosy pictures were stories unfolding that contained fear, despair, and hopelessness that would eventually conclude in a horrific event.
The mission that lies before us as educators is being able to identify the warning signs of bullying, and now cyberbullying, and developing an intervention strategy that involves the school, the home, and law enforcement.
Assignment: As you reach the conclusion of the core and required coursework for your Master's degree in Education, it is appropriate to consider what has been achieved and what that achievement means for you as a professional. This paper is to be an articulation of the major THEMES which have emerged for you over the course of your Master's degree program and a consideration of the implications they have for you as you plan your professional future.
Fill-in the answers related to the "purpose or concept" questions of a proposal:
a. My proposed project is equipping classrooms with an iPad2, HDMI-equipped television, and Apple TV unit as an alternative to interactive whiteboard technology.
b. Technology will be integrated as students (and/or teachers) will be able to use this setup to interactive with digital content equally and from anywhere within the classroom.
c. I will be able to show that this project is effective by:
Scheduling regular feedback sessions with teachers to share success stories with their peers and problem-solve frustrations and/or mistakes in implementation.
Using online surveys to ask for student feedback on their integration into the classroom and their favorite apps. to use in class.
Provide training for students and staff with the goal of using this setup to present digital portfolios during scheduled student-led conferences.
With the other members of your Issues Seminar Project team, you will investigate a topic and prepare a hands-on activity (or set of activities) on one impact issue.
Prepare a one-page overview of the key points on your selected topic (one for the whole group).
Submit a single annotated bibliography (from the group) with 3-5 sentence descriptions for each and dated no earlier than 2001.
Social networking has fast become a staple of communication for our emerging generation of students. For them, communicating through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype are the preferred modes over services such as email. To this end, it is the responsibility of educators to not only be mindful of the role that this technology plays in our students everyday lives but also to teach them how to use it safely, securely, and in a fashion that is considered a positive contribution to the Internet and shows an understanding of digital citizenship.
A key point to social networking in educational settings is the potential to engage students on the topic of Internet safety. By using a social networking site, students are interacting with and contributing content to a location that is potentially “live” and accessible to anyone. Some educators may take issue with this depending on their grade level, school policies regarding posting student content online, and respecting the wishes of parents. As a result, some services have emerged, such as Edmodo, that offer teachers the look and feel of a traditional social networking service but with the added security and administrative control that can put teachers, administrators, and parents at ease.
Along with Edmodo, many educators have found useful ways in integrating social media into the classroom. In New Jersey administration and educators are using facebook as the school homepage, cell phones to take quizzes, and twitter to update classroom assignments. In Tucson, an educator is using Facebook to have his students educate local politicians and farmers on issues in the community. Nikki Morrell in Florida is having her students use Twitter to analyze the Shakespearean play Hamlet. All of these educators see the benefits in using social media in the classroom. Morrell writes that it is time to accept the fact that we are living in a world where classrooms have no walls, and it is time for all educators to embrace this concept.
The two articles above address the issue of the constant emergence of vocabulary and “buzz words” that appear in social networking circles. Teachers need to be aware of the terminology that is being used within social networking systems so that they can educate students on their meaning and when to use them appropriately. This is an opportunity to integrate social networking with language arts.
The article above could help introduce students and staff to the idea that there are many different types of social networking services based on geographic locations. Contrary to what students in the United States may think, Facebook is not the “go-to” social networking service in places like China, where they use a service called QZone. This article can act as a branching off point to talk about different types of social networks and highlight niche services like LinkedIn.
“10 Tips for Improved Security while using Social Media”
The article above addressed a critical requirement to entering the social networking world: that of security and safety. The article proceeds to list ten tips that every social networking participant should be aware of, from password security to being selective about friend requests and even something as simply as logging out of the service when done. One of the goals of using social networking in the classroom is to teach students the skills and know-how to be safe and secure when they are on other services such as Twitter, Friendster, etc.
“63% of High School Students Want Textbooks that Communicate with Classmates”
This article discusses the trend being observed among students where they are asking for resources that are not only digital but have built-in opportunities to collaborate and socialize with classmates. If you look at the infographic included with the article, there is data ranging from how social networking is being used by younger and younger students, social networks are become a go-to place for college admissions to help them weed out applicants, and the estimated prevalence of bullying online. These statistics can be a branching off point for a variety of topics for classroom conversation and/or debate.
This article addresses another type of social networking service built-in to Google’s service Google Plus. Called “hangouts” this service acts like a virtual coffee shot of sorts where individuals can gather and have virtual conversations. What really makes the article worthwhile is that it provides 18 examples of how this could be employed in the classroom from conducting Q&A sessions with a guest speaker to creating office hours for college students to speak with their professor to even conducting a conversation with the President (see #3). A common mantra for technology teachers and support staff is to not “reinvent the wheel.” This article follows this point of view by providing examples for teachers to either try or to help them construct their own ideas for integration.
“Ten Ways Schools Are Using Social Media Effectively”
This article discusses the results from a poll that eSchool News took of its readers. They posed the question “Name one way you use social networking your school/district. Or, if you can’t/don’t currently use social networking, how would you like to?” A sampling of the responses include social networking for professional development, assignments, communication, and assessments.
“Social Networking in Schools: Incentives for Participation”
This article bases its research on the results of three surveys conducted by the National School Board Association. The surveys were issued to students, parents, and school district leaders in charge of Internet policy. The results indicate that those surveyed expect that social networking could have a positive effect on student learning, however it is still not a prevalent tool that is used in schools. This article discusses the various reasons why its use is still not a reality in schools.
This article highlights the ways that educators are using social networking to positively impact student and teacher learning. From social networking sites and tools such as Ning, Voicethread, Second Life, Skpe, Facebook and Twitter, schools are finding ways to engage 21st century thinkers and learners through social networking sites that foster group collaboration, global awareness and professional development.
“A Social Society: The Positive Effects of Communicating through Social Networking Sites”
In this digital age, everything in our lives is spread out across as much media as possible, shaped by anyone and everyone. This articles summarizes ways that social networking sites enhance communication in all aspects of life, from allowing people to form groups of similar interest, sharing ideas in a way where mobility is often a barrier to social interaction, to promoting education and news in a timely fashion.
Come learn how safe social networking can be in an educational setting through Edmodo. This facebook-like platform is a one stop shopping place for a teacher’s digital needs, including a place for teachers to assign and receive work, calendars to assist students with important dates, a digital library that serves as a “digital backpack” for teacher/ student files, a place to post messages and foster group collaboration, and parent connection features. This Web 2.0 app also allows students to post educational videos or online projects to be commented on by their teachers and peers.
“Social Media in Education: The Power of Facebook”
This article looks at utilizing Facebook in the classroom to get the word out about the extinction of Bufflegrass. Wolpert examines the multiple methods other educators have used to bring Facebook into their classrooms. The article centers around the positive way Brien Kievit used Facebook to create an online learning community to spread the word about Bufflegrass. The article ends with a plea from Wolpert to educators to use social media, especially Facebook to get a voice in society.
Aurthor Eric Sheninger discusses a school in New Jersey making use of multiple social media tools in this article. The teachers in this school in New Jersey use cell phones to answer questions. Facebook has replaced the school website and twitter has become very popular for teachers to update class assignments. The article discusses the fact that many students are coming to teachers bored and disconnected. The article ends with the author stating that educators must incorporate social media, but it is also the educator’s responsibility to warn students of the dangers.
This article/blog looks at an educator’s efforts to meet the needs of her students by embracing the concept “classroom with no walls.” The blog describes Morrell’s effort to teach Hamlet using twitter to understand multiple themes. The article states that twitter was used because Morrell wanted the students using higher order thinking skills, only being allowed to use 140 characters in twitter would allow for that. Morrell ends by stating that her lessons were a success. Not only do her students “understand Hamlet, they love it”.
We continue our tour of the landscape of the impact of technology on our culture, including our schools, by way of articles, talks, radio stories, and online videos. There are so many sources which means you should be able to find some things that particularly interest you. Select TWO articles (ONE of which is a TED Talk) from the link READ/WATCH/THINK list to read, watch, or listen to. Write up a short commentary on each of your selections.
Ken Robinson talks about creativity and how we are educating our students out of it and as a result are doing both them and our future a huge disservice. As examples, he refers to several stories about how young children have used creativity to help make sense of their world, from the 4-year-old who tried to understand what frankincense was to the little girl who was drawing a picture of God. If you look on YouTube, you will find dozens, if not thousands of other examples of children being similarly creative because, as Robinson puts forward, they not afraid to be wrong and take risks.
I see a lot what is talked about in this video resonating within my own sphere of education. The idea that taking risks is okay has become so foreign to our students at the middle school level, that the “risk-taker” component of our IB Learner Profile is constantly promoted and referred back to in our lessons and activities in an attempt to help them unlearn this fear of being wrong. At lunch, a common them I hear from the two 6th grade math teachers is that the Everyday Math program is so structured, so spelled out, so tight in its plan that it doesn’t leave any room for them to be creative. When I introduce to them an interactive math website that I think students would appreciate, their response is too often, “Thanks, this looks great, but I don’t have any room in the EM program to integrate it so that it will do any good.”
I think one of the reasons why education has shunned creativity is because it is not something that can be easily quantified or measured using some form of a standardized test. And, if something can’t be measured on a test then it get put on the back burner, shoved into the corner, or thrown out altogether with the bath water. How sad is that?
Finally, Robinson talks about several people who became quite famous as adults and asks us to think about them as children (e.g. Shakespeare at age 7). This part of the discussion caused me to ask the question, “What would the teachers of famous scholars, performers, innovators, etc. say about them as students?” It makes me wonder if, within the 22 students of my Day 4, Block 5 class there sits the next Albert Einstein or Amelia Earhart? And then I think, am I doing right by them as a teacher, as a guide to help them realize their talents? Obviously, there is no way for us to know what the future holds for our students. However, I think it is important for all of us to constantly ask the questions that Robinson asks in his presentation.
My first thought as I starting watching this video was, if these students are “digital natives” of the 21st century then why are they using dry-erase boards for their messages, a technology from the 20th century? Why are they using iPads? Granted, the iPad/eReader technology explosion hadn’t happened yet when this video was produced, but tablet technology did exist in 2007. I guess what I’m getting at is, I wonder what these students would have come up with had they been asked how they should communicate these words and phrases to the audience?
One of the slides in the presentation I have to take issue with. At approximately 3:13, the students ask us to let them use the World Wide Web Whatever, Whenever, Wherever. Having just completed a curriculum unit in our previous Lesley course on Internet Safety, I can’t say that I agree with this concept. Just because a student is a digital native or 21st century learner or “plugged in” doesn’t mean they know how to use technology and the Internet safely. I mean, we have adults who are apparently still lacking in some of these skills. Just look at the number of adults who have gotten themselves into trouble because of the choices they’ve made about posting content onto Facebook. Then again, perhaps these concerns were not as apparent in 2007 as I believe they are today.
In the end, I think this video shares a similar message with that of Ken Robinson’s presentation about the death of creativity. Students need to be free to be creative, take risks, and explore their potential. Teachers need to act as guides and help students nurture these skills in a safe and supportive environment, not to mention being allowed to be creative and take risks themselves. And administrators need to see the value in this approach and provide support to both students and teachers so that they can be successful, and one way they can achieve this is by being creative themselves.
Please prepare a summary School Profile (your own, your children's, your community's; as appropriate) including basic descriptive and factual information.
Student Body profile
The student population at MSK is mostly Caucasian (approximately 97%). The remaining three percent are made up of representatives from African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American heritage. Of the total number of students enrolled, approximately twenty percent have qualified for free/reduced lunch support. The student-to-teacher ratio is estimated at ten-to-one.
Teaching Staff
MSK employs a total of 47 full-time teaching staff, with an additional 82 staff employed in various rolls from Ed. Tech. to Food Services and Maintenance to Special Education personnel.
Test Scores
In looking at test scores from 2012 for the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP), students at MSK scored the following:
In the area of mathematics, 80 to 85 precent of students in grades 6-8 met the standard.
In the area of reading, 86 to 89 precent of students in grades 6-8 met the standard.
In the area of writing, 62 percent of students in grade 8 met the standard. No results were available for students in grades 6 and 7.
In looking at test scores from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), students at MSK scored the following:
Students in grades 6/7 made improvements in both those who met the requirements and the number of students who showed growth between 2009-2010 in the area of reading. Students in grade 8 showed a decrease in both meeting requirements and showing improvement.
In the area of mathematics, students in grade 6/7 showed improvement in their growth between 2009-2010, but showed a decline in the number of students who met their target scores. Students in grade 8 showed improvement in both categories.
Instructional Technology Resources
MSK is equipped with two general purpose computer labs and a third Special Education computer lab; all three are outfitted with Apple iMac computers. Each 6th grade classroom is outfitted with an interactive whiteboard (i.e. SMART Board) including all three computer labs, five special education rooms, and the main library.
Each full-time teacher in grades 7/8 has access to a Apple MacBook via the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI); teachers in grade six also have MLTI laptops purchased through the state laptop program. The ratio of students to laptops in grades 7/8 is 1-to-1 as a result of the MLTI program. The entire school building is equipped with a WiFi network, which is also provided by the state via the MLTI program. Through a grant, the 6th grade is equipped with two mobile labs in an attempt to bring the entire school closer to a 1-to-1 laptop environment for students across all three grades.
Student computer use at home
It is estimated that about 85 percent of the student population across the district has access to a computer or electronic device at home. This figure is partially inflated due to the presence of the MLTI program in that one of its goals is to provide both students and parents at the middle school level with access to a WiFi-enabled laptop computer capable of accessing the Internet. Students who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program may also qualify for Internet access at a reduced rate through Great Works Internet (GWI). The state program will also provide students with a modem to connect the state laptop to this service.
Why are numbers significant to know and what do yours show?
These numbers are significant because they help paint a picture of the overall population that the school is serving. Student body and staff profiles help to determine what kind of teaching and learning environments are possible and if the current status is even sustainable. Testing numbers can give insight into how effective school instruction and assessment is with respect to student learning and comprehension, although often administrators and/or school boards can add more weight to these numbers than what is appropriate or realistic. Instructional technology numbers can expose inequalities in access across grade levels and schools. For example, when a new elementary school was built in Kennebunk every Kindergarten through third grade classroom was outfitted with an interactive whiteboard. While this was a huge innovation and step forward in technology integration for the students and staff, it created inequity with the elementary school population in Kennebunkport. Hence, the school district spent the next two years devoting budgetary funds to install similar technology until the Kennebunkport school was on par with the new school.
The intent here is to link the simulation exercise directly to you, and to your experience. Think about the adopter types and the chart on levels of use of innovation (also found under Lab Activities under Making Change Simulation) to reflect on your own experience. BRIEFLY answer the following questions and post your answers on the Discussion board in the designated area. There is a table attached here to also help organize your thinking.
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1. Where were you on levels of use of technology two years ago?
Two years ago I was two years into my new roll as a technology integrator at the middle school and witnessing the decline and eventual demise of our 21st Century Classroom program due to a lack of funding. I was overseeing the deployment of “Round III” of the MLTI 1-to-1 laptop program and continuing to develop my computer literacy course with little to no input or feedback from the administration with respect to curriculum.
Upon reflection, I find that my level of technology use leapfrogs all over the place, depending on which aspect of my job I focus on. I was in the mechanical stage with respect to the 21st C.C. program due to the decline in support from the administration and growing discontent and lack of interest from teachers in the program. If I look at the MLTI program, I think I had a foot in the refinement level as I was overseeing the initial deployment of new technologies and I wanted the transition to be smooth and successful for both students and staff. I wanted them to know what new tools they were going to have at their fingertips and how to successfully integrate them into their teaching and learning. Upon reflecting on my teaching through my computer literacy course, I think I was finally moving into the integration level as I wanted to make deliberate connections between the content I was teaching and the projects students were being asked to create in their other classes.
2. Where on this scheme are you now?
Today, while they have changed my job title from integrator to coordinator, I feel that I have been able to maintain a strong presence in the refinement and integration levels. From time-to-time I am able to get a foot (perhaps only a toe) into the renewal stage as I try to find alternatives to achieving goals by way of integrating new technologies. However, each time a new technology comes along I revert back to the orientation level in order to define what this new innovation is, how it could be integrated, and where could I coordinate its introduction into the classroom.
Where on the chart do you see yourself when you finish your degree program?
I don’t see myself really changing where I am when I finish this degree program. I think by the very nature of being an integrator/coordinator of technology, you have to have the flexibility to travel up and down the levels in order to be successful. However, my hope is that in the future I will be able to motivate students and staff to make these treks with me and collaborate at each level, thereby developing concrete and worthwhile strategies for technology integration and innovation.
