ECOMP 6101: Read/Watch/Think

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.

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Article #1: TED Talk: Sir Ken Robinson, “Schools Kill Creativity”

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.

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 Article #2: A Vision of K-12 Students Today

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.

ECOMP 6101: School Profile

Do you know the “numbers” on your school? 

Please prepare a summary School Profile (your own, your children's, your community's; as appropriate)
including basic descriptive and factual information.


School: Middle School of the Kennebunks

Enrollment: 502
6th = 178
7th = 156
8th = 168

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.

Bibliography

Regional School Unit 21 (2012). March 6, 2012. http://www.rsu21.net

School Digger (2009-12). March 6, 2012. http://www.schooldigger.com/go/ME/schools/1477300800/school.aspx

ZipSkinny (2005). March 6, 2012. http://www.zipskinny.com/index.php?zip=04043

ECOMP 6101: Making Change Follow Up

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.

ECOMP 6101: Making Change-The Game

Simulation Game: Making Change
Simulates organizational change in educational setting - training exercise not technology per se but the process of getting colleagues to do something differently. 


The simulation is based on real findings in educational research and the situation is based on real people.


You will work as a team, assuming the role of a change committee. Your objective is to do various activities to influence people who are represented on the game-board. 


The game-board represents a school district – on one axis are the names of people you want to exert influence on (the players) and across the top of the board are the phases people go thru adopting any new practice - or levels of use the players move through.

The winning team and their game-board :-)

ECOMP 6101: Book Reflection

Taking Charge of Change - Chapter 5
[Hord, S. M., Rutherford, W. L., Huling, L., & Hall, G. E. (2006). Taking charge of change. Austin: SEDL.]

The Role of Effective Change Facilitators

More PowerPoint presentations from Nick Shuman

ECOMP 6106: Curriculum Unit Website

What is the purpose for creating a teaching website?

Your website should be designed to provide you and others (i.e. parents and/or students, other teachers, administrators, and colleagues with whom you collaborate) with access to information and documents that are part of the unit you will be designing during this course. Websites provide easy access to materials, hyperlinks, online resources, and assessment documents. Your website should become a compendium of information and resources for your curriculum unit. Plan your website to make use of the power of the Internet to assist with the storage, retrieval, and communication of information and documents.

Teaching Website: Internet Safety
Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Unit Goals
• Unit Questions
• Assessment Plan
• Unit Resources
• Instructional Procedures
• Introduction
• Cyberbullying
• Digital Footprint
• Internet Credibility
• Phishing
• Viruses
• Conclusion
• Technology Integration
• Differentiated Instruction
• Communication

ECOMP 6106: Working with Spreadsheets

Earthquake Research and Inquiry-Based Learning
You will be using the EarthBrowser software to gather and analyze data about earthquakes. Then you will create a spreadsheet and graphs from your data.

Because my students do not have access to Microsoft Excel but rather Apple’s equivalent Numbers, I thought it would be prudent to attempt the assignment using the same software students would use. I was able to reproduce almost all aspects of the Jing videos on Excel in Numbers. However, Numbers did seem to be lacking in some of its manipulation options, specifically with angling the earthquake location labels. As a result, I was pretty much locked in to a horizontal bar chart as my only option if I wanted all of the information to be displayed properly. Otherwise, I find I like the ease of Numbers and the sleekness of the finished products.