Most of the posts I have made thus far to this blog have been as a result of requisite prompts for my Boise State University EDTECH 541: Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum. I've learned a lot in this course, and it's nearing an end, but this blog is not. I strongly believe that, although educational technology has existed for decades, we are only now beginning to realize how ubiquitous it can -- and should -- be, but also the value and importance of applying technology in purposeful ways. To that end, I intend to continue this blog with a critical-but-hopeful eye on how to effectively and efficiently use educational technology... not technology for technology's sake, but technology for the sake of learning and forging a better future.
Over the past few months in this course, I have learned quite a bit. A central part of this course has been exposure to the multitude of free or easily-accessible resources out there, many focused on leveraging the Web for production, communication, and collaboration -- accounting for half of the key components of ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students. It is truly mind-blowing how many useful and innovative tools are now available online, and perhaps even more staggering is the rate at which they are emerging and expanding.
However, the aspect I appreciate the most and feel is critically important is the idea of critically analyzing when and how to technology can provide a "Relative Advantage" over traditional methods of learning, and how to best incorporate such technology through use of the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model. (Roblyer, 2006, p. )
I strongly believe in the value of empirical research and research-based decision-making. As such, I am pursuing a Master's of Science in Educational Technology rather than the M.E.T degree offered by Boise State University; this means that, in lieu of an M.E.T. standards-based portfolio, I will be writing a Master's Thesis. As such, it was refreshing to note the thorough theoretical foundations of Roblyer's (2006) recommendations and conclusions regarding suggested educational technology use. In addition, my own research into studies regarding multimedia yielded very interesting and scientifically-supported evidence of its beneficial value:
However, this does not mean that I do not value the practical importance of the M.E.T. standards set defined by the AECT. After all, what good is theory and research if it does not get applied in a practical way? (Hence the title of my blog) This EDTECH 541 course has been extremely beneficial in addressing these standard needs set forth by AECT. Perhaps its most significant contribution has been in the realm of Standard 3: "Utilization" (Earle, 2000, p.22 ):
“Utilization is the act of using processes and resources for learning” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46). This domain involves matching learners with specific materials and activities, preparing learners for interacting with those materials, providing guidance during engagement, providing assessment of the results, and incorporating this usage into the continuing procedures of the organization.
3.1 Media Utilization
“Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46). Utilization is the decision-making process of implementation based on instructional design specifications.
3.2 Diffusion of Innovations
“Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the purpose of gaining adoption” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46). With an ultimate goal of bringing about change, the process includes stages such as awareness, interest, trial, and adoption.
These standards directly relate to the idea of "technology integration planning," and I would say that idea is the area in which I have grown most professionally. It's true that I learned and used many new tools in this course, and I have in fact already held peer-training professional development sessions to teach other teachers at my school about these tools and how they can be used. But for the most part ideas like the TIP model and AECT standard 3 simply resonate with what I have already felt strongly and tried to express in the workplace -- but Roblyer and this course have given me the means to eloquently express the value of such planning, organize a systemic way of implementing it, and showing examples of the TIP model in action. After all, tools and technologies will change over time (now more rapidly than ever!) but wise planning and systematic, purposeful decision-making will likely always be en vogue.
References
Earle, R. S. (Ed.) (2000). Standards for the Accreditation of School Media Specialist and Educational Technology Specialist Programs. Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Accommodation Through Assistive Technology
A huge education buzzword, for at least as long as I have been teaching (8 years now), has been: Differentiation. The Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talented Development at the University of Connecticut states: "Three components that are most notably associated with differentiation are: content--what is being taught; process—how it is being taught; and product—tangible results produced based on students' interests and abilities."
This idea of "differentiation" stems from a goal over the past 20 years of maintaining inclusive, heterogeneous classrooms that contain a variety of students, ability levels, and needs. Although there are many benefits to this, it is easier said than done! This means that an average class of 20-35 students will likely contain special-education students, gifted and talented students, and even among the remaining "normal" population, students vary wildly with regard to their strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, personalities and attitudes.
As a result, the idea of "differentiation" stems also from standards-based instruction, or the idea that the same core standards of learning should apply to the multitude of students in the same class or grade. As such, differentiation attempts to define ways to impart the same set of knowledge or skills to students, even if the products, processes, or systems of delivery vary from student to student.
In theory, this sounds wonderful. In practice, nearly every teacher -- from the overwhelmed rookie to the seasoned veteran -- will tell you that it is a Herculean task! Designing alternative lessons and locating (or *gasp* creating) the variety of materials to accommodate various groups and types of learners obviously takes much longer than "teaching to the middle." Yet the benefits are also clearly visible, as "teaching to the middle" leaves some students in the dust while shackling and boring speedier, more capable and gifted students. Is there a way to differentiate without overworking as a teacher?
Yes... and technology can play a critical role in that process. For as long as there have been federal mandates regarding special education, there have been provisions for technologies to assist those students -- from wheelchair ramps and mobility tools, to personal planners and modified classroom tools, to cutting-edge electronics. But the fact is that differentiation takes into account that not only "special needs" students are special; every student is unique and can benefit from tailored instruction.
So we need to get away from the view that technology as merely "assistive" for the disabled or "challenging" for the whiz-kids. The fact of the matter is that modern technology may be the single most effective means of making truly differentiated instruction a reality -- and this means for all students.
The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) prescribes a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework "for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning."
It simply makes sense to design lessons, projects, activities, and classrooms such that they use multimedia, multi-sensory stimuli, multiple streams and sources of information and support, a variety of collaborative or independent opportunities, and tools to support student self-planning, organization, goal-setting, independent scaffolding, and other meta-cognitive tasks. By doing so, you reach not only "subgroups" of students, but you actually enable individually differentiated instruction that can meet the needs of every student -- whose profiles are as distinct and unique as fingerprints and snowflakes.
This seems like a daunting task, but through use of modern technologies it is actually much easier on the teacher than trying to do this with traditional tools, and management of students becomes much more hands-off as student/community autonomy develops. Here are some examples:
References
Dinnocenti, S. T. (1998). Differentiation: Definition and Description for Gifted and Talented. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut.
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
This idea of "differentiation" stems from a goal over the past 20 years of maintaining inclusive, heterogeneous classrooms that contain a variety of students, ability levels, and needs. Although there are many benefits to this, it is easier said than done! This means that an average class of 20-35 students will likely contain special-education students, gifted and talented students, and even among the remaining "normal" population, students vary wildly with regard to their strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, personalities and attitudes.
As a result, the idea of "differentiation" stems also from standards-based instruction, or the idea that the same core standards of learning should apply to the multitude of students in the same class or grade. As such, differentiation attempts to define ways to impart the same set of knowledge or skills to students, even if the products, processes, or systems of delivery vary from student to student.
In theory, this sounds wonderful. In practice, nearly every teacher -- from the overwhelmed rookie to the seasoned veteran -- will tell you that it is a Herculean task! Designing alternative lessons and locating (or *gasp* creating) the variety of materials to accommodate various groups and types of learners obviously takes much longer than "teaching to the middle." Yet the benefits are also clearly visible, as "teaching to the middle" leaves some students in the dust while shackling and boring speedier, more capable and gifted students. Is there a way to differentiate without overworking as a teacher?
Yes... and technology can play a critical role in that process. For as long as there have been federal mandates regarding special education, there have been provisions for technologies to assist those students -- from wheelchair ramps and mobility tools, to personal planners and modified classroom tools, to cutting-edge electronics. But the fact is that differentiation takes into account that not only "special needs" students are special; every student is unique and can benefit from tailored instruction.
So we need to get away from the view that technology as merely "assistive" for the disabled or "challenging" for the whiz-kids. The fact of the matter is that modern technology may be the single most effective means of making truly differentiated instruction a reality -- and this means for all students.
The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) prescribes a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework "for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning."
It simply makes sense to design lessons, projects, activities, and classrooms such that they use multimedia, multi-sensory stimuli, multiple streams and sources of information and support, a variety of collaborative or independent opportunities, and tools to support student self-planning, organization, goal-setting, independent scaffolding, and other meta-cognitive tasks. By doing so, you reach not only "subgroups" of students, but you actually enable individually differentiated instruction that can meet the needs of every student -- whose profiles are as distinct and unique as fingerprints and snowflakes.
This seems like a daunting task, but through use of modern technologies it is actually much easier on the teacher than trying to do this with traditional tools, and management of students becomes much more hands-off as student/community autonomy develops. Here are some examples:
- By using audio-video tutorials/demonstrations, students are able to get direct instruction as usual... but are also able to repeat the lesson as needed on an individually self-assessed basis. This frees the teacher to monitor and manage other tasks and saves the teacher valuable time that would otherwise be spent tutoring or re-teaching.
- Interactive tutorials in the computer can act like "super texts" by extending textbook information with audio narration, animated or guided examples, and practice with immediate feedback. Not only that, but adaptive systems can determine student needs and provide immediate tailored intervention. Students benefit from the guided instructions, while teachers save time to provide more personal assistance.
- Likewise, computerized practice and assessment tools allow students to immediately gain awareness of their academic strengths and weaknesses and, with some correct procedures instilled, can seek their own remediation or challenges accordingly.
- Social networking and digital communication tools allow students to contribute to the class community, to share resources with each other, and to have equitable access to discussions, regardless of time constraints or personality types. Teachers no longer need to worry about the ticking clock, as students can contribute "on their own time" in asynchronous discussions... and even shy students can feel empowered to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and knowledge. All of this means much less stress and classroom management by the teacher. And by locating, evaluating, and sharing resources themselves, teacher planning time for preparing and providing materials gets drastically cut, while students gain 21st century information literacy and evaluation skills that will be critical in their lives.
- Creativity and productivity software allows students to create the same types of professional products the pros and experts do -- while allowing for easy corrections, sharing, and storing. Students get the benefit of motivational real-world skills, potential vocational training, and tools that make up for possible artistic or motor-skill weaknesses. Meanwhile, teachers save time, headaches, and money by not having to deal with acquiring, distributing, managing, cleaning up, and storing physical products and materials.
- Assistive technology for disabled students automatically mitigate a variety of handicaps, and may often be beneficial for "in-between" students on the spectrum. For example, magnification/zoom features and text-to-speech may not only benefit the legally blind, but also those with merely poorer-than-ideal vision, or students which reading difficulties.
References
Dinnocenti, S. T. (1998). Differentiation: Definition and Description for Gifted and Talented. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut.
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Relative Advantage of Technology for History
The study of history is powerful and important for many reasons. It allows us to determine the variables that influence why we are where we are, but the ultimate goal of studying history is actually much more pragmatic; in fact, the study of history, we could argue, is actually the first step in prediction and forging of the the future. It gives a window to past situations, problems, challenges, and solutions -- it allows us to learn from the mistakes and successes of others in similar circumstances.
If one thing has revolutionized the study of history more than anything else, it has been multimedia. History requires understanding a multitude of variables, experiences, and perspectives. Such ideas were expressed, recorded, and shared throughout time in oral history stories, ballads, songs, engravings, and other arts. Eventually, invention of the printing press allowed, for the first time, mass production and distribution of these individual experiences, stories and perspectives.
The benefit of being able to share and consume from a multitude of viewpoints and perspectives cannot be underestimated in its value to truly understanding and using the lessons history provides. When an event occurs in space and time, the impact, consequences, and connotations will always be perceived differently depending on who is involved and how their first-hand experience. Thus, we can say there is not really such a thing as one "true" or "objective" history, but rather that every point in history is a Gestalt experience. In other words, the more perspectives and viewpoints and artifacts and experiences we can piece together, the more "true" our impression of that event or experience will be, as a whole. The sum of the parts is what provides the synergistic power of studying history.
For this reason, multimedia and the Internet are perhaps the most powerful tools ever created to understand history.
However, I believe this does not need to be a reason to avoid using the Internet to study history. The more perspectives we have, the closer we can get to understanding the "universal truth" of a historical event. How, then, can we reconcile the fact that many sources on the web are likely to be biased or just plain wrong? I believe instead of avoiding the plethora of resources out there we should embrace this opportunity to learn and to teach our students some of the most basic and useful cores of social studies:
If one thing has revolutionized the study of history more than anything else, it has been multimedia. History requires understanding a multitude of variables, experiences, and perspectives. Such ideas were expressed, recorded, and shared throughout time in oral history stories, ballads, songs, engravings, and other arts. Eventually, invention of the printing press allowed, for the first time, mass production and distribution of these individual experiences, stories and perspectives.
The benefit of being able to share and consume from a multitude of viewpoints and perspectives cannot be underestimated in its value to truly understanding and using the lessons history provides. When an event occurs in space and time, the impact, consequences, and connotations will always be perceived differently depending on who is involved and how their first-hand experience. Thus, we can say there is not really such a thing as one "true" or "objective" history, but rather that every point in history is a Gestalt experience. In other words, the more perspectives and viewpoints and artifacts and experiences we can piece together, the more "true" our impression of that event or experience will be, as a whole. The sum of the parts is what provides the synergistic power of studying history.
For this reason, multimedia and the Internet are perhaps the most powerful tools ever created to understand history.
- A variety of media allow for multiple types of "experiences" -- visual, verbal, physical, interpersonal, intellectual, emotional -- to be shared and witnessed. The printing press allowed a variety of stories and perspectives to be shared, but use of only words is not always sufficient to convey a place, time, thought, or feeling. Art, photography, television, radio, and film have provided the tools required to convey and evoke the emotional and visceral impact that words alone may not be capable of evincing. Having our own sensibilities addressed in the variety of ways that a first-person witness of a historical event would means that we can more realistically understand and empathize with the situation. In essence, multiple media creates a "virtual reality" of the past.
- Unlike mass media of the past, the Internet and World Wide Web has become a huge game-changer in the social studies -- especially politics, sociology, and history. Our understanding of history is enabled through the examination of stories and artifacts -- items and images and recordings throughout time. Proliferation of affordable media tools and the advent of "Web 2.0"user-created online content has resulted in an explosion of such individual experiences, perspectives, stories and artifacts. Unlike the idea of a single expert or textbook delivering the "true" history, we now have an overflowing source of primary-source materials and experiences that is growing and evolving daily.
However, I believe this does not need to be a reason to avoid using the Internet to study history. The more perspectives we have, the closer we can get to understanding the "universal truth" of a historical event. How, then, can we reconcile the fact that many sources on the web are likely to be biased or just plain wrong? I believe instead of avoiding the plethora of resources out there we should embrace this opportunity to learn and to teach our students some of the most basic and useful cores of social studies:
- History is not a one-sided story
- There is no such thing as "objective" -- everything is shown through a lens or told through a framework of personal experience
- Drawing conclusions and making predictions requires analyzing and comparing multiple sources and considering many variables
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Technology for Reading and Writing in a Content Area
I began my teaching career 8 years ago as a 7th grade language arts teacher. I remember often getting frustrated at how low (below grade level) the abilities of the students coming to me were. I would get upset when I saw that they either: (a) didn't have reading and writing assignments in other subjects (like math); or (b) even if they did read and write, teachers would ignore reinforcing reading and writing skills, dismissing it with "It's not my job to teach reading and writing... that's what Language Arts class is for."
At that time, I also saw a disconnect because I saw the growth and potential of the Internet and technology, yet there were no computers in the classroom. I had also been a computer programmer for a while (2 years professionally, though I had been programming computers since using DOS and MS-BASIC when I was a 3rd grader.) I expressed concern about this to one of the assistant principals, explaining what would later be affirmed by Kinzer (2003) and Leu (2002): traditional definitions of literacy are no longer sufficient and that it is critical for students to learn how to learn, how to analyze, and how to navigate in a world of new media and information technology.
Although the AP agreed with me, most people from the principal to the community dismissed it at the time. Now, however, that is not the case. People from the President of the United States down to a kindergarten student are starting to realize that the ways they must be literate are vast and varied.
Ironically, many people equate computers, technology, and multimedia as being the antithesis of literacy, as the antagonistic foe of "written language" (books.) This could not be further from the truth. Although it is true that many forms of media are now audio-visual and thus do not engage the reader in visual text processing and construction, the Internet is still chock-full of written content. Web 2.0 tools like blogs have caused an unprecedented explosion in the amount of written content being created and shared. Proper spelling has reemerged has a priority due to the necessity of search engines and global communication. Quite contrary to stoic traditional beliefs, reading and writing skills may be more important and valuable than ever, and fortunately there are many ways technology tools can help.
Reading
Two of the most common and popular computer-based tools for improving reading are through the use of interactive/multimedia books and evaluation/tracking systems.
Interactive books. I remember when my family first installed a "SoundBlaster" audio card in our computer during the late 1980's. For the first time, our computer could churn out more than blips and bleeps -- suddenly, fully-orchestrated music and voice narration existed. One of the first games to take advantage of this was "Reader Rabbit," which combined a visual and interactive experience with spoken words and phonetics to assist in the decoding practice.
Over the two decades since then, this use of computer media has seen a lot of use. One example I use with primary students is Starfall.com, a free Flash-based online system. These types of books allow students to click on words to hear decoding and pronunciation. There are also animations and interactions within the books themselves, making them motivational and engaging. Small games are incorporated to practice such skills.
There are many sites and programs such as these. Their primary intent and focus is on decoding and verbal fluency. Although this is a great first step, it is disappointing that in 20 years we have not seen the technology go further. There is room for advancement and improvement in this area. What would next steps look like? Well, students can currently hear narration and words -- but the programs do not require the students themselves to read out loud. Some systems allow students to record and play back their own voices, which is a start, but there is no assessment of their actual ability. With modern technology, shouldn't we be using voice recognition to engage, assess, monitor, and dynamically adjust instruction for the user?
Evaluation/Tracking systems. Another use of technology is to serve as a repository, database, or assessment tool for student reading progress and comprehension. Two examples of this are Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Inventory/Scholastic Reading Counts. These programs are used to evaluate student reading levels based on comprehension abilities. For example, SRI can determine a student's lexile score and make recommendations for books based on appropriate reading level and students' own interests. Students can then read those books and take comprehension quizzes in Scholastic Reading Counts about elements of the story they read. Such tools can be motivational and can certainly provide useful data for tailored instruction or targeted interventions. One obvious improvement seems like it would be an "all-in-one" literacy system that includes interactive and engaging digital books and games and an assessment/tracking system to determine performance in fluency, comprehension, and literary analysis.
Writing
Although topics and purposes of written assignments may vary dramatically between content areas, there is one thing that stays the same: the writing process. Let's look at the standard phases of the writing process -- for any content standard -- and see how technology can help.
References
Kinzer, C. K. (2003). The importance of recognizing the expanding boundaries of literacy. Integrating Reading Online, 6(10).
Kulik, J. (2003). Effects of Using Instructional Technology in Elementary and Secondary Schools: What Controlled Evaluation Studies Say. Arlington, VA: SRI International.
Leu, D. J., Jr. (2002). The new literacies: Research on reading instruction with the Internet. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J Samuels (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction. (3rd ed., pp. 310-336). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
At that time, I also saw a disconnect because I saw the growth and potential of the Internet and technology, yet there were no computers in the classroom. I had also been a computer programmer for a while (2 years professionally, though I had been programming computers since using DOS and MS-BASIC when I was a 3rd grader.) I expressed concern about this to one of the assistant principals, explaining what would later be affirmed by Kinzer (2003) and Leu (2002): traditional definitions of literacy are no longer sufficient and that it is critical for students to learn how to learn, how to analyze, and how to navigate in a world of new media and information technology.
Although the AP agreed with me, most people from the principal to the community dismissed it at the time. Now, however, that is not the case. People from the President of the United States down to a kindergarten student are starting to realize that the ways they must be literate are vast and varied.
Ironically, many people equate computers, technology, and multimedia as being the antithesis of literacy, as the antagonistic foe of "written language" (books.) This could not be further from the truth. Although it is true that many forms of media are now audio-visual and thus do not engage the reader in visual text processing and construction, the Internet is still chock-full of written content. Web 2.0 tools like blogs have caused an unprecedented explosion in the amount of written content being created and shared. Proper spelling has reemerged has a priority due to the necessity of search engines and global communication. Quite contrary to stoic traditional beliefs, reading and writing skills may be more important and valuable than ever, and fortunately there are many ways technology tools can help.
Reading
Two of the most common and popular computer-based tools for improving reading are through the use of interactive/multimedia books and evaluation/tracking systems.
Interactive books. I remember when my family first installed a "SoundBlaster" audio card in our computer during the late 1980's. For the first time, our computer could churn out more than blips and bleeps -- suddenly, fully-orchestrated music and voice narration existed. One of the first games to take advantage of this was "Reader Rabbit," which combined a visual and interactive experience with spoken words and phonetics to assist in the decoding practice.
Over the two decades since then, this use of computer media has seen a lot of use. One example I use with primary students is Starfall.com, a free Flash-based online system. These types of books allow students to click on words to hear decoding and pronunciation. There are also animations and interactions within the books themselves, making them motivational and engaging. Small games are incorporated to practice such skills.
There are many sites and programs such as these. Their primary intent and focus is on decoding and verbal fluency. Although this is a great first step, it is disappointing that in 20 years we have not seen the technology go further. There is room for advancement and improvement in this area. What would next steps look like? Well, students can currently hear narration and words -- but the programs do not require the students themselves to read out loud. Some systems allow students to record and play back their own voices, which is a start, but there is no assessment of their actual ability. With modern technology, shouldn't we be using voice recognition to engage, assess, monitor, and dynamically adjust instruction for the user?
Evaluation/Tracking systems. Another use of technology is to serve as a repository, database, or assessment tool for student reading progress and comprehension. Two examples of this are Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Inventory/Scholastic Reading Counts. These programs are used to evaluate student reading levels based on comprehension abilities. For example, SRI can determine a student's lexile score and make recommendations for books based on appropriate reading level and students' own interests. Students can then read those books and take comprehension quizzes in Scholastic Reading Counts about elements of the story they read. Such tools can be motivational and can certainly provide useful data for tailored instruction or targeted interventions. One obvious improvement seems like it would be an "all-in-one" literacy system that includes interactive and engaging digital books and games and an assessment/tracking system to determine performance in fluency, comprehension, and literary analysis.
Writing
Although topics and purposes of written assignments may vary dramatically between content areas, there is one thing that stays the same: the writing process. Let's look at the standard phases of the writing process -- for any content standard -- and see how technology can help.
- Prewriting: Think and organize your ideas.
One of the most difficult things for students to do well when writing is to structure and organize their ideas and information in a logical way. Visual organizers such as webs, Venn diagrams, compare/contrast columns, and outlines have long been used on paper to help students organize and plan their writing. There are now virtual versions of these planning and organizing tools that go one step further because they are dynamic and easily changeable, which is important when planning because ideas need to be quickly moved or modified. Furthermore, all of the typical drawbacks of paper -- use of resources, easy-to-lose, and hard to share or replicate -- are avoided. Examples of these useful tools include Kidspiration/Inspiration, Webspiration, Text2MindMap, and Read-Write-Think. - Drafting: Begin to write down and structure the thoughts and supporting details.
Drafting is one area where computer technologies may provide little to no advantage -- other than speed an efficiency. One would think hand-writing a draft may be faster than typing it, and in some ways it is. But consider the previous prewriting tools -- using these tools with typed text, students can quickly and easily cut-and-paste their existing written text and notes into a draft-paper format, saving time while simultaneously making the cognitive connection between visual-spatial organization and final verbal/textual structure. Drafting most often occurs in word processing software such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or OpenOffice. - Revising and Editing: Revising looks at how the structure, organization, and choices for words and supporting details might be improved. In editing, writers make sure the "mechanics" are correct -- spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting.
There are many, many ways computer software improves the editing and revision process. For one, proofreading is easier (for the author and especially for other readers) in typed format than it is when reading handwriting. More importantly, there are tools that are specifically useful. Highlighting or font colors can be used to check for important elements such as topic sentences, transitions, and supporting details. I also have my students use these tools to point out spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors on peer papers. Many programs also have a built-in dictionary and thesaurus which can help students quickly choose the most appropriate words to use. Finally, the ability to cut and paste blocks of text allows students to quickly omit, rearrange, or insert text in appropriate locations... a feat that is nearly impossible on paper.
In addition to the word processing tools, multimedia can prove extremely useful in the editing and revision process. For example, students can use microphones to record themselves reading their own papers as well as their classmates'. By doing so, the flow (sentence fragments, missing or misspelled words, etc) and structure of the writing may become clear in a way that would not have occurred with silent reading.
These are some of the key reasons that multiple studies have shown increase in effective writing skills and performance when using a word processor (Kulik, 2003, p.60; Roblyer, 2006, p. 300). - Publishing: Make the written work presentable and easily consumable by your target audience.
Computer technology has made a huge and obvious impact on publication. In the past, a "finished paper" might look like a rewrite of the edited draft using indelible ink. Through the use of desktop-publishing and presentation software, anyone can now produce finished products to rival professional publications... and the Internet even allows sharing and distribution of that work to a mass audience. In short, there is no longer any reason that the "classroom" experience needs to be inauthentic or inferior to the professional world.
References
Kinzer, C. K. (2003). The importance of recognizing the expanding boundaries of literacy. Integrating Reading Online, 6(10).
Kulik, J. (2003). Effects of Using Instructional Technology in Elementary and Secondary Schools: What Controlled Evaluation Studies Say. Arlington, VA: SRI International.
Leu, D. J., Jr. (2002). The new literacies: Research on reading instruction with the Internet. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J Samuels (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction. (3rd ed., pp. 310-336). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Social Networks: To Use or Not to Use?
For the past decade or so, the idea of "social networking" has been a hot topic, buzzword, and source of much revenue on the Internet. To be sure, this idea has been around a bit longer than that... in fact, I was "social networking" on a local BBS (bulletin-board system) using a modem when I was a middle-school student in the late 1980s... before the World Wide Web was invented and any websites existed.
We all know of ubiquitous sites now like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. A few years ago the buzzwords were Friendster and Xanga. Now there are also new systems like Ning and Edmodo, which allow for smaller network groups or collaborative spaces online. This could be useful for education... but does that mean we should use them?
Some advocates, like José Picardo (posting on his "Box of Tricks" blog), give a resounding "YES!" But I'm not so sure. The idea is that, currently, many (if not most) schools use a "walled garden" approach to learning with technology, in which students are provided with a well-defined "sandbox" within limits of ways they can explore, browse, use, and communicate via the Internet. The argument is that we should break down the wall and avoid sheltering these kids, for the following reasons:
Benefits
Social networking tools are certainly a hot topic right now, and I think they have their place. I'm not going to say they would not be useful for education; Vygotskian theory (among others) really highlights the value of communication for constructing knowledge. For this reason, I think online social networking would be a crucial component of home-schooling or online education environments. For adults -- such as college students -- they may prove to be a useful extension of the classroom.
However, there are serious costs and problems with trying to use them in a traditional school classroom and especially for students in elementary school. I believe there will be a time when they are well-designed in a way that is feasible for use (in fact, I am in the process of developing a new website for my school district using a web-hosting service called SchoolFusion which includes online teacher-created -- private and moderated -- blogs, discussions, forums and activities. ) However, we will not see the true success of social networking for education until these three conditions are met:
Federal Trade Commission. (1998). Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Retrieved from COPPA.org: http://coppa.org/
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (2010). Statistics. Retrieved from NetSmartz website: http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/statistics.htm
Picardo, J. (2008, November 15). Social networking in education: why is it taking so long? [Weblog message]. Retrieved from http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=549
Picardo, J. (2010, February 16). Microblogging: making the case for social networking in education [Weblog message]. Retrieved from http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1727
Rede, J. (2010). Global collaboration and learning. Retrieved March 8, 2010 from EdTechMag.com website: http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/events/updates/global-collaboration-and-learning.html
We all know of ubiquitous sites now like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. A few years ago the buzzwords were Friendster and Xanga. Now there are also new systems like Ning and Edmodo, which allow for smaller network groups or collaborative spaces online. This could be useful for education... but does that mean we should use them?
Some advocates, like José Picardo (posting on his "Box of Tricks" blog), give a resounding "YES!" But I'm not so sure. The idea is that, currently, many (if not most) schools use a "walled garden" approach to learning with technology, in which students are provided with a well-defined "sandbox" within limits of ways they can explore, browse, use, and communicate via the Internet. The argument is that we should break down the wall and avoid sheltering these kids, for the following reasons:
- Students are growing up in a global economy requiring global citizenship. They "face a future where boundaries are abstract and global learning is critical. Tomorrow’s citizens must be global communicators, must be able to participate successfully in project-based activities, and must have collaborative skills." (Reed, 2010.)
- The Web 2.0 is how students like to communicate outside of the classroom. "Many will argue that most students are just wasting their time and gossiping online but, whatever anyone’s opinion on the benefits or dangers of social networking is, it cannot be denied that they are all sharing, collaborating and networking and they are doing so in a way which they enjoy and find engaging, otherwise they simply would not do it." (Picardo, 2010.)
- Communication, teamwork, and collaboration are valuable skills both in and out of school.
Benefits
- Improved motivation / enjoyment.
- Simulates or represents what the "real world" will be like after school.
- Allows for collaboration. (but can't this be done without the technology? Not for online education or home-schooling, but for the vast majority of students who are in traditional schools and classrooms, the school itself is a "social network" where the kids can communicate, interact, and work on projects together. )
- Distraction. Recent studies have shown that students do not multitask well and actually learn less when multitasking. Social networking does not necessarily cause students to attempt multitasking, but it certainly encourages it and makes it easy to try to do.
- Online privacy / safety -- and lack of parental guidance. Multiple studies at Netsmartz.org reveal the dangers of using online communication with students: (1) 45% of teens have been asked for personal information from someone they don't know online; (2) 42% of parents do not review or monitor what their children do online, and 30% allow them to use the computer in a private room. Some of these problems can be solved by using private networks/groups such as Edmodo and Ning allow. However, if we as educators encourage or provide requirements for online networking, we cannot monitor what these students are doing at home, such as...
- Cyberbullying. Tomorrow, my elementary school is holding a special session for parents to teach them about the issue of cyberbullying. It has started to occur in students as young as 4th grade. They are posting disparaging or slanderous remarks, hijacking MySpace accounts, etc. Most social networking sites are not moderated -- this opens up a huge potential for cyberbullying in a forum that you the teacher created and endorsed. Unless the service you are using allows moderation and approval of posts and comments, students can post inappropriate or damaging materials and do serious psychological damage to their peers in your classroom before the offending content is caught and removed.
- Laws prevent children from using many online services. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 stipulates that any website that collects personal information (including name, address, phone number, or email) of a child under 13 years old requires special notifications to, and verified approval from, a parent. Because of the difficulties in doing this -- and the fact that the web service can be fined $10,000 if it is discovered that they did not adequately comply -- many sites and services simply refuse to allow children under 13 to use their service. Some of the sites which explicitly state that children under 13 cannot use their services include some of the most common and popular email and social networking sites: Google, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook. So... how is cyberbullying and Facebook-jacking being done by 4th graders? Due to the lack of parental guidance as mentioned above, students can simply do what they like at home... and they know all they need to do to create an account is lie about their age.
But if kids can't get an email account... how can they use a service like Ning which requires an email address to sign up? (note: Edmodo does not require an email account or personal information, so it is a viable option) - Increasing the Digital Divide. Finally, something to seriously consider is the fact that many students are disadvantaged and simply do not have computers, Internet, or smartphones outside of school. Mr. Picardo argues that microblogging is what kids do at home... but this is not the case when the kids don't have the tools. Let's assume that there are benefits to online social networking for education. If you are a teacher at a school (like mine) with a large disparity in socio-economic status, then moving your collaboration and communication tools online for homework activities and projects (instead of in the classroom) means you are providing those educational opportunities only for those students privileged enough to have the tools to participate and engage themselves in the discussions and learning outside of the classroom. The only solution, then, is to use computers and social-networking tools while in the classroom... but if you are doing this, doesn't it defeat the purpose? The students are there -- together, in the same place, as a group -- so they can collaborate and "social network" just by using their mouths and hands and brains, without even needing any technology.
Social networking tools are certainly a hot topic right now, and I think they have their place. I'm not going to say they would not be useful for education; Vygotskian theory (among others) really highlights the value of communication for constructing knowledge. For this reason, I think online social networking would be a crucial component of home-schooling or online education environments. For adults -- such as college students -- they may prove to be a useful extension of the classroom.
However, there are serious costs and problems with trying to use them in a traditional school classroom and especially for students in elementary school. I believe there will be a time when they are well-designed in a way that is feasible for use (in fact, I am in the process of developing a new website for my school district using a web-hosting service called SchoolFusion which includes online teacher-created -- private and moderated -- blogs, discussions, forums and activities. ) However, we will not see the true success of social networking for education until these three conditions are met:
- the digital divide would have to be closed and all students would need to have access to technology and the Internet at home.
- any system that is used for kids in school must be: private, moderated, and not collect private information (name, address, or email) in order for student sign-in.
- we need more scientific studies and evidence of the values and efficacy of online social networking (ie. what is the benefit over traditional classroom collaboration?)
Federal Trade Commission. (1998). Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Retrieved from COPPA.org: http://coppa.org/
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (2010). Statistics. Retrieved from NetSmartz website: http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/statistics.htm
Picardo, J. (2008, November 15). Social networking in education: why is it taking so long? [Weblog message]. Retrieved from http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=549
Picardo, J. (2010, February 16). Microblogging: making the case for social networking in education [Weblog message]. Retrieved from http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1727
Rede, J. (2010). Global collaboration and learning. Retrieved March 8, 2010 from EdTechMag.com website: http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/events/updates/global-collaboration-and-learning.html
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Using Spreadsheets and Databases in the Classroom
Considering the impact computer-based spreadsheets and databases have had on the business world over the past few decades, it is astounding how rarely they seem to be used in the classroom.
Sure, teachers these days often use spreadsheets or databases to record class rosters or digital gradebooks, and that's useful and great... but it doesn't address the fact that our students are growing up in the information age and will be finding work in a global knowledge-based economy. Because of this, it is more critical than ever that students know why and how to use tools that help them sort, organize, and explore the vast amounts of information that is being created and shared every day via the Internet.
This is where spreadsheets and databases come in.
Spreadsheets
Most teachers in classrooms today have at least some experience with Microsoft Excel. This is a spreadsheet program, but it is not the only one. There is a free online Google Spreadsheet program which is similar (but not as full-featured) as Microsoft Excel. There is also OpenOffice Calc, which is a free download to install on your computer and also reads/writes Excel files.
Spreadsheet software provides a large table of cells which can contain a variety of data -- text, dates, numbers, currency, etc. Although the spreadsheet can be used as a basic storage and organization system this way, its real strength lies in the ability to perform long or complex calculations as well as the ability to easily visualize data sets using charts and graphs.
Relative Advantages: Spreadsheets allow both students and teachers to perform calculations on large sets of numbers quickly and efficiently. One benefit is that the spreadsheet software allows for quickly creating visual representations of data using a variety of charts and graphs, which can sometimes help to illustrate disparity or similarity between numbers far more quickly or powerfully than the numbers themselves could. Another benefit of working with calculations and formulas is that students can quickly see how changing certain numbers affects the overall output or result of the formula. This allows them to focus on higher-level concepts (Roblyer, 2006, p. 132) but it is important, if students are new to spreadsheets, to teach spreadsheet concepts and familiarity before using it to teach math concepts (Thorsen, 2009, p. 237).
Databases
Database software seems to be much more daunting for teachers to approach, perhaps because they are a little more time-consuming and complex than Excel, or perhaps because teachers are not as familiar with their use since they would not be a likely tool as a class gradebook (they are, however, perfectly suited as SIS software: student information systems.) Many databases -- especially high-end ones used by businesses -- cost money. However, there are several smaller and easy-to-use databases, including FileMaker and Microsoft Access (part of the Office suite) as well as OpenOffice's free version, Base. Computer programmers who want to create database-driven websites often use a free and powerful database called MySQL.
It's really a shame that databases are underutilized in the classroom, because they are truly powerful tools and are useful for organizing, filing, and "making sense" of large quantities of data. A "database" is just what it sounds like: a "base" or place for storing and organizing data. Like spreadsheets, this data can include a variety of formats such as dates, numbers, and text. However, the grouping and relationships between types of data can be more clearly defined in a database. Unlike spreadsheets, databases are used less for calculations or visual representations and more for organizing, analyzing, and predicting by using queries or "questions" to ask the database about what types of records it contains in its tables.
Relative Advantages: The biggest benefit of using a database is that it allows people to quickly find specific facts or information and to organize that information in a way that helps them determine relationships or answer questions. For this reason, it is an ideal problem-solving and inquiry-based learning tool. Effective uses of a database would be lessons that require students to describe something unknown based on its characteristics; make a decision or analyze a problem; or make a prediction based on existing data (Thorsen, 2009, p. 203). Databases also allow multiple people to access a central repository of data, which eliminates redundancy of storage and helps ensure accurate and up-to-date content. However, it is important that students have structured guidance in asking relevant questions and analyzing the results (Roblyer, 2006, p. 139).
Example Academic Activities
Click here to see examples of activities that could be performed by students as young as elementary school as part of a thematic unit about transportation.
References
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Thorsen, C. (2009). Tech Tactics: Technology for Teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Sure, teachers these days often use spreadsheets or databases to record class rosters or digital gradebooks, and that's useful and great... but it doesn't address the fact that our students are growing up in the information age and will be finding work in a global knowledge-based economy. Because of this, it is more critical than ever that students know why and how to use tools that help them sort, organize, and explore the vast amounts of information that is being created and shared every day via the Internet.
This is where spreadsheets and databases come in.
Spreadsheets
Most teachers in classrooms today have at least some experience with Microsoft Excel. This is a spreadsheet program, but it is not the only one. There is a free online Google Spreadsheet program which is similar (but not as full-featured) as Microsoft Excel. There is also OpenOffice Calc, which is a free download to install on your computer and also reads/writes Excel files.
Spreadsheet software provides a large table of cells which can contain a variety of data -- text, dates, numbers, currency, etc. Although the spreadsheet can be used as a basic storage and organization system this way, its real strength lies in the ability to perform long or complex calculations as well as the ability to easily visualize data sets using charts and graphs.
Relative Advantages: Spreadsheets allow both students and teachers to perform calculations on large sets of numbers quickly and efficiently. One benefit is that the spreadsheet software allows for quickly creating visual representations of data using a variety of charts and graphs, which can sometimes help to illustrate disparity or similarity between numbers far more quickly or powerfully than the numbers themselves could. Another benefit of working with calculations and formulas is that students can quickly see how changing certain numbers affects the overall output or result of the formula. This allows them to focus on higher-level concepts (Roblyer, 2006, p. 132) but it is important, if students are new to spreadsheets, to teach spreadsheet concepts and familiarity before using it to teach math concepts (Thorsen, 2009, p. 237).
Databases
Database software seems to be much more daunting for teachers to approach, perhaps because they are a little more time-consuming and complex than Excel, or perhaps because teachers are not as familiar with their use since they would not be a likely tool as a class gradebook (they are, however, perfectly suited as SIS software: student information systems.) Many databases -- especially high-end ones used by businesses -- cost money. However, there are several smaller and easy-to-use databases, including FileMaker and Microsoft Access (part of the Office suite) as well as OpenOffice's free version, Base. Computer programmers who want to create database-driven websites often use a free and powerful database called MySQL.
It's really a shame that databases are underutilized in the classroom, because they are truly powerful tools and are useful for organizing, filing, and "making sense" of large quantities of data. A "database" is just what it sounds like: a "base" or place for storing and organizing data. Like spreadsheets, this data can include a variety of formats such as dates, numbers, and text. However, the grouping and relationships between types of data can be more clearly defined in a database. Unlike spreadsheets, databases are used less for calculations or visual representations and more for organizing, analyzing, and predicting by using queries or "questions" to ask the database about what types of records it contains in its tables.
Relative Advantages: The biggest benefit of using a database is that it allows people to quickly find specific facts or information and to organize that information in a way that helps them determine relationships or answer questions. For this reason, it is an ideal problem-solving and inquiry-based learning tool. Effective uses of a database would be lessons that require students to describe something unknown based on its characteristics; make a decision or analyze a problem; or make a prediction based on existing data (Thorsen, 2009, p. 203). Databases also allow multiple people to access a central repository of data, which eliminates redundancy of storage and helps ensure accurate and up-to-date content. However, it is important that students have structured guidance in asking relevant questions and analyzing the results (Roblyer, 2006, p. 139).
Example Academic Activities
Click here to see examples of activities that could be performed by students as young as elementary school as part of a thematic unit about transportation.
References
Roblyer, M. D. (2006). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (4th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Thorsen, C. (2009). Tech Tactics: Technology for Teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
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