Peering backwards and looking forward

Looking Uncomfortably Forward, Backward, and Into the Camera

Please also find below a link for a recent Kaplan University Online commercial, which I believe sums up beautifully not only one of the last readings, but much of the material and many of the trends we've covered in this course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giZ3HBFbeAg&feature=related

Warmest regards and best of luck to you all,
Jeff Kulick

The digital era- McNish

After reading the Weigal, James, & Gartner's (2009) article, I was struck by the influence that new technology has had on education throughout time. Educational environments have had to respond to the advances made and incorporate them into the daily life. In the new digital media age, all learners may be given access to information. That is to say that with the implementation of digital environments within classrooms students will be given different options for understanding and grappling with information. I find this to be both exciting but also challenging. The NDM will require that teachers find a way to meet the needs of all of their learners in a successfully digital way. I find this to be exciting because I think that it is important for all students to be able to demonstrate their understand of the information in a way that allows them to excel. I feel challenged because it is up to me to research, interact with, and assess, and incorporate the new technologies available into my classroom. I felt a little less overwhelmed when I read the conclusion of this article, and realized that other people believe that it is not only up to the educators to incorporate new technologies, but also up to the other stakeholders dependent upon our students become digitally verse. I think that in our schools we need more training, money, and support in order to create successful technological savvy citizens.

Gaming in the Classroom

Often times video games and online gaming websites are identified as having a negative impact on children due to violent content, mature topics or simply because it’s a waste of time. However, as mentioned in the article, “The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulation and How Teachers Can Leverage Them”, video games can play a significant and positive role in the classroom.

I am a huge advocate for virtual games in the classroom, especially since I had such great experiences with them during all levels of my education. As an elementary school student, we played the game, “Amazon Trail”, to introduce a new culture and as an undergraduate we used “The Sims” to study human behaviors and interactions. Video games often allow the student to become a part of the game which provides them with a more realistic experience. In many cases, especially in games where a new culture or place is introduced, a video game can provide students with an opportunity to engage in a virtual field trip. Video games also allow students to go beyond what they learn from books, videos and websites since they now have an interactive experience to go along with it. Additionally, video games and gaming websites are not only limited to the classroom but they can also be used at home or with friends.

Virtual gaming can provide students, who normally have difficulty connecting with material, a whole new perspective on nearly any topic or academic area. Games that may appear to lack academic content can easily make their way into the classroom and can be manipulated to address a particular learning area. Video games can enhance learning for students of all ages and should not be dismissed due to the “negatives” that are associated with them.

Technology

As I read Weigal, James, & Gartner's (2009) article I started thinking about technology and how it has impacted the evolution of education. Over time education has had to respond to technological advances because these advances were also changing how we function on a daily basis. This got me thinking about change in general and how our own experiences are different from our parents' and how they will also be different from our own childrens'. Every one of us feels that what we know and are interested in is vitally important for our generation, because what we know and experience is a response to our surroundings. However as Weigal, James, & Gartner (2009) have pointed out, if we want to stay relevant as teachers we should consider that, "As educators, we hope that this learning will continue to take place in educational institutions. But unless the schools are equal to the task of absorbing the new digital media, and making acute use of their potentials while guarding against their abuses, schools are likely to become as anachronistic as almshouses, teachers as anachronistic as barber-surgeons. Any culture that wishes to survive will ensure that learning takes place, but the forms and formats remain wide open."

While perusing NPR.org I came across a feature on The Jobs of Yesteryear, and it made me think about how technology has impacted aspects of life that we aren't even aware of. This blog post is simply to share this wonderful interactive feature: The Jobs of Yesteryear

Technology and Differentiation

The Weigal, James, & Gartner (2009) piece identified a crucial role for technology in education - addressing multiple modalities of learning.  Technology can be used to give students multiple options to access the same information and skills, using visual, audio, written, and interactive media.  The authors also spoke about the use of technology to address the needs of students with disabilities.  But one use that they did not really dive into was the idea of differentiation within an entire population of students, even a typical general education classroom.

Everyone learns at different rates and this does not mean that one student is "gifted" and another is "disabled."  So even in our general education classrooms, we must teach sort of in the middle; ideally keeping the interest of our top performing and self-motivated students and scaffolding enough for our struggling and/or disinterested students.  But with technology, we can now differentiate in our classrooms with ease.  Software has already been created that can adapt to a student's abilities and we should continue to push for these types of educational tools to emerge into our classrooms.  Not only can this type of technology help re-mediate skills for children who need more time, but they can provide enrichment experiences for students who are being intellectually held back in a general education setting.

Educational video and computer games may be one of the most exciting elements of a Web 2.0 world. The development of new technology allows for games that are interactive, challenging, and in which students are able to build and explore. They provide an opportunity to bring history to life, especially valuable in working with students with special needs. Civilizations is an example of a game that does this, which was mentioned in the "Digital Games" article, and which we also learned about in our Social Studies class at Bank Street. Games like these are the most exciting to me.

As we discussed in our presentation, I think the best games are those that provide an experience that could not otherwise be provided in the classroom - whether that's because they provide a low-stress experience for a student who has anxiety at at school or because they do what Civilizations does in making the abstract more concrete. Games also create a major source of motivation for students who struggle with reading - in my classroom, the kids who are the biggest gamers happen to be the ones who have the most difficulty with reading. Starfall.com's interactive reading games have helped them develop stamina as they find a reason to be interested in reading. I only hope that the tech gurus of the world continue to develop more of these games for younger children, and that schools prioritize their use and training of teachers in incorporating them into the curriculum.

- Harper Keenan

Age-Old Teaching Strategies in the Era of Digital Youth

I really loved the New MacArthur Study reading. I was particularly intrigued by the connection drawn to the teachings of John Dewey and the tenets of progressive education.

My first reaction was to the notion that we have to (somehow) "protect" young people from the perils and pitfalls of new media. Will Richardson addresses the issue thusly, "Such learning differs fundamentally from traditional instruction and is often framed negatively by adults as a means of 'peer pressure.'" I think if not in a virtual world, this very same peer pressure will be taking place in the hallways, on the playgrounds, and in the classrooms of schools everywhere. Although real dangers do indeed exist in both realms, in my opinion we really should be careful about implementing too many restrictions on access to new media because we may be compromising young people's ability to benefit from their full potential in an attempt to safeguard them from dangers and risks that are inevitable in any context.

In other words, as the saying goes, we may be throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

I also liked Richardson's characterization that "New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in a classroom setting...Their efforts are largely self-directed, and the outcome emerges through exploration, in contrast to classroom learning that is oriented toward set, predefined goals." To me, this sounded exactly like Dewey's vision of progressive education and student-centered learning. I especially agreed with the comment from "terry," who argued that we couldn't and shouldn't believe we can find the "right set of rules (or filters)" that will "control the student experience." Terry mentions Dewey by name here, and reminds us that he argued at the beginning of the last century that "Students are not passive empty buckets that we fill. Instead they are active participants in their learning (and when they are not, I would argue they are not actually learning)."

I have always truly believed this, as well, and recognize that, as such, learning will not always be neat and tidy, and without its share of messiness. But it is through these trials and tribulations that kids, and teachers, learn. Richardson goes so far as to say, "Enough with the filtering already! The world is changing! I'm a professional. Give me access! NOW!" I tend to agree with this, and would echo the call for teachers to stand up for themselves in the face of "outspoken fanatic parents who don't get it, and who elect school board members who don't get it."

I think one concrete example we might cite as proof positive is the need for a new definition of functional literacy. We used to speak in terms of one's ability to read a newspaper or fill out a job application. Nowadays, most universities conduct their registration solely online, many college courses are offered only in the virtual realm, through podcasts and the like, and video conferencing has become the norm for communication in the workplace. It is absolutely necessary for kids to develop sufficient technical skills in these areas, and it is absolutely imperative that schools allow them to do so. From my perspective, and experiences watching kids struggle toward their mastery of classic literature, for example, perhaps it would help us gain perspective if we could simply see computer horseplay as the note-passing of today.

If I were to post my own comment to the weblogg on ed.com, I would only add one word to the discussion: democratic. Where "terry" cites Dewey and Richardson speaks of "freedom and autonomy," our class has taught me that the UDL potential in so many of these new technologies also makes them more democratic than many "traditional" instructional approaches. With this Dewey would also be pleased.

Jeff Kulick

Living and Learning with New Media

Living an Learning with new Media

Social and recreational new media use as a site of learning. Contrary to adult perceptions, while hanging out online, youth are picking up basic social and technological skills they need to fully participate in contemporary society.

-Will Richardson

Not long ago I heard parents complaining about not wanting their children to have cell phones for many reasons. These days, and especially since the 9/11 terror attack it seem that even some of the youngest students have cell phones so that “parent know they are safe” If a parent chose not to provide his /her child with a cell phone is this be a “ barrier to participation.”? I don’t think it is. In this era digital technology parent should still have some way of protecting young children who should be learning social skills in places other than the web. I am not against technology in anyway quite the opposite. I do feel that younger children should not just be allowed to use every technology that is available but rather in stages or according to age.

On the other hand digital technology is available and is used in my 5^th grade classroom where I am student teachers. All teachers use the smart board to incorporate most of curriculum.

Students in my classroom talk constantly about new games they have played on line and they sometime use the computers at the end of the day to play some of these games. Computers are also used as a tool to aid research when needed and students are very comfortable with technology, they are engaged and eagerly participate in discussions after viewing YouTube clips and listening to brain-pop. In fact those are the times when the children are most animated and they all want to contribute to the discussion that invariably follows one of the showings. Although the entire student body is LD it does not prevent them from using technology and in fact they are all able to use the laptops which are available in the classrooms. Recently my class did a project on famous people, most of the students used Google to get information and some student actually got books from the library. I don’t know whether my students blog, as many of them experience difficulties with language, writing and spelling I am also not sure whether they send text messages since they do not use cell phones inside the school.

I find the articles scary and exciting. I am scared that I will find myself in a multi-media classroom where the students are way ahead of me in their knowledge of technology and although I would be able to learn from my students I would want to be able to teach them a thing or two myself. Since students are wired all the time and are learning from each other and from everyone everywhere, it almost seems inevitable that many teachers will not be able to keep up with their students. As the MacArthur piece stated student find others who share their interest and they learn from their peers. As a teacher I find it difficult to keep up with new technology although I try to follow the new trends by reading about them on- line or wherever I am able to get the information. I am comfortable with e-mail and Face book but in general I feel that both are time consuming.

games for teaching

I think the idea of games like this is one that I have often thought of before and truly interests me.
I have thought about it before and the very idea of it overwhelms me a bit. In order to use a game for educational purposes I would have to pre-screen it and guide every single student through the process very carefully.

Reading the article about digital games by Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, Jennifer Groff, Jason Haas posed an interesting question in my mind. How could the games I know so well for entertainment purposes be used in an instructional setting (this includes SimCity, which was touched on in the article). We could use games like this when doing a study of community in grades 2 or 3. Take the ideas of city investigation further by creating a city so they can see all that goes into it.

I believe games like this really could help children build upon their passions or discover future interests. For example, those that find SimCity fun could look into City Planning or architecture. I look forward to hearing th presentation about games so I can hear more.

Inquiry Based Learning Outside the Classroom

It appears that the public system of education has recently stumbled upon the idea of using inquiry inside the classroom as a means to generate student learning.  But frankly, inquiry (or whatever pseudonym you give it) is the way that people learn many of the skills they use in their daily lives.

Not only does the MacArthur Foundation's digital youth white paper address the uses of technology in youth cultures, but it also exhibits how youth are going about learning the tool.  They discuss the great advantages of the digital age and the use of the tools that are now available for social and educational purposes.  But the most powerful note is toward the end in the implications section.  The study cites that children who are highly exposed and have significant time to "mess around" actually develop a higher mastery of the technology.  Technology is not just a means to learning and education, it itself has skills and content that are essential for students to learn.

The study is important because of the content it contains.  Technology is pervasive in the lives of our children and its powers can be harnessed for learning - academically and socially.  But this small bit included in the study should be highlighted as a theme that should emerge in all disciplines and modalities of study - inquiry.  An inquiry-based approach makes intuitive sense when teaching things like blogging or making music on garage band.  So how come it has taken so long for the education world to embrace inquiry for the core disciplines?  And why is it such a shock that this is how people learn technology?

Thoughts on the Macarthur Study

When I first read the article we were assigned about the findings in the Macarthur study, I found myself agreeing with quite a bit of it. I especially agreed with the fact that students are a lot more motivated to learn from their peers because they can connect around a shared interest. I also loved the idea of kids learning through exploration because unlike a teacher lecturing in a classroom, there are no set defined goals. However, the next reading, which was a blog praising the findings really made me question my agreement with the study. The author of the blog put such emphasis on pointing out how youth respect one another's authority online and that what adults would call "hanging out online" can be viewed as kids learning basic social skills. The more I thought about it, the more I can honestly say I don't fully agree. Although kids might be learning social skills, it is often at the price of reinforcing what they are learning in language arts and literacy. There is no set curriculum on teaching kids that spelling and grammar that is socially acceptable in the online world is not in an educational context. Also, just as kids can be cruel to eachother in person, they can be just as cruel to eachother online. The more kids are using computers and the internet earlier and earlier, the more cyber bullying that is prevalent. Although the findings of the study are great, if we are to promote using these technologies in the classroom, we need to device and promote a curriculum that teaches kids the difference between online social etiquette and real world social skills.

Implications of social media and peer-based learning?

Reading the MacArthur Foundation Report, "Living and Learning With New Media," was interesting to me. At first look, I was very skeptical about the implications of self-directed, autonomous learning of students using technology, let alone social and recreational networking sites. Maybe I'm sounding like my parents and teachers, but shouldn't that be for fun, and not for school? It is one thing to accept that the means of social interaction is changing with the digital age, but quite another to encourage it as a form of "learning" in schools. I hardly think of facebook and myspace as interactions that should be encouraged in youth, partly because I feel like they are somehow a lesser form of social interaction. This implication is exemplified for me in the notorious "facebook fight" or "text-message break-up." They seem funny or trivial, but having someone break-up with you via a social networking sight is understood to be the lowest form of interaction, and I believe this is because even kids immersed in the digital culture understand that interacting solely through digital media (to the extent of even relying on it for the utmost social activities, such as ending a relationship) doesn't even qualify as a legitimate form of interaction. It was this belief that kept me from accepting the ideas presented in the MacArthur article, as I felt like as people, let alone teachers, we should not encourage these interactions in school, which may very well be the last place of the face-to-face interaction.

Up until this point in the class, I have been relatively gung-ho about integrating technology into the classroom, not only because of the self-directed learning inherent to the medium, but also to provide students with the tools they need to function in a changing society. Is social networking a form of learning? It uses the same tools that other forms of technology require, it encourages students to follow their own interests and discover their natural affinities, and it encourages not only independent learning, but also emphasizes the importance of collaboration for both the sake of connecting and learning more. Isn't this what we, as teachers, ultimately want to accomplish in our classrooms? Reading Will Richardson's blog post about the articles definitely furthered these sentiments for me. I still don't like saying that facebook should be used as a learning tool, but I find myself agreeing more that "erecting barriers to participation deprives teens of access to these forms of learning. Participation in the digital age means more than being able ot access 'serious' online information and culture" (MacArthur, 2). While I am still not able to say that these tools belong in the classroom, I definitely understand why some people think they should, and I agree that teaching children to pursue their own learning interests and helping equip them with the technological understanding they will need in the world should certainly be a goal in the classroom, even though I'm still unsure whether all social networking media can/shoud be/is a vehicle for achieving these goals.

Incorporating New Media into the Classroom

After reading the MacArthur Foundation Report on Digital Media and Learning, Will Richardson's blog post about the aforementioned report and Klopfer's article about the educational importance of digital games, social networking and simulations I understand how digital media affects the way that children learn, play and socialize and how important it is for them to be able to connect to ideas and people outside of the classroom in similar ways that they connect to their learning inside of the classroom. According to the MacArthur Foundation Report, the new media such as online social- network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and mobile gadgets such as iPods and cell phones are a common part of youth culture. These are the various ways by which students of today, communicate, express themselves and play. However, in most schools social network sites are blocked from use, cell phone use is prohibited and iPods are only allowed during free periods. These rules have been implemented to protect students but they are mostly inhibiting them from accessing a vast array of online educational resources. Technology that administrators fear and block in schools, such as social networking sites and digital games, when used appropriately can be used to enhance lessons and cultivate skills necessary for the technological world in which students live.
I was shocked to learn about the many ways that teachers can incorporate digital gaming and simulations into their curriculum's and about the many benefits that children gain from utilizing this technology . I was always under the impression that video games were a waste of time, were violent and were a mindless form of entertainment. After learning more about them, I see how they can enhance visual perception, enhance various cognitive abilities and enhance problem solving and communication skills. I would definitely utilize digital games in my classroom, especially in the form of simulations. I love the idea of recreating a model of a real world situation and having students being able to interact with it. The implications for science, in terms of creating 3-d representations of molecules, social studies, in terms of building cities and/ or civilizations and math, in terms of being able to see and visualize abstract concepts in concrete examples is all really exciting and at its core the essence of experiential learning.

I start most weekend mornings checking my email and the latest news. Many of the articles that I read are the articles featured on yahoo and the NY Times. What I do usually is scan for ones that seem either interesting or important to me. This Sunday morning I came across an article from the Associated Press on Obama’s plan to overhaul NCLB. As someone who is not particularly a fan of NCLB, I was eager to read what Obama was proposing. From the article I learned that "One of the things America has not been clear about is what k-12 is supposed to do," Amy Wilkins a vice president for Education Trust in D.C said. "In this, we're saying K-12 is supposed to prepare kids for college and meaningful careers," (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100313/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_education).
After reading the article I thought to myself that this was a practical way of thinking about the goal of education, yet it didn’t sound quite right to me. However when I read the MacArthur foundation research report on Living and Leaning with new media, I was particularly stuck when it was said that “Rather than assuming that education is primarily about preparing for jobs and careers, what would it mean to think of it as a process guiding youths’ participation in public life more generally? (http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf)
After reading this one sentence I was amazed at how it so simply summed up my opinion of what education should be about. It seemed to be a more inclusive statement that I think reflects the versatility and value of an education that prepares individuals with the necessary thinking skills needed to respond to real life situations.
So although it seems that school reform is heading in the right direction, the people behind legislative reform should think about how heading in a more current direction that includes integrating technology into the classroom helps to develop skills for today. As the MIT, Education Arcade paper argues, this approach promotes a more social way of encountering the world.

technology + progressive education

I find it interesting that many progressive ideas about education seem to fit nicely into technology integration in schools. Although Dewey's ideas and those of many other progressive educators have been around for a while, the american school system has remained largely conservative around ideas of curriculum, student/teacher dynamic, standards of knowledge etc. In today's world however, and certainly in the future we will need to embrace the integration of technology into the classroom. It seems possible that this will also mean an infusion of these progressive philosophies into the school system. Critical thinking skills will be essential. Rather than one definitive text that does not expose a variety of perspectives on the content, and therefore does not encourage variant thinking or critical analysis, students will be exposed to an almost infinite amount of perspectives and texts. It will be teacher's responsibility to teach students to think critically and evaluate what they are reading. This means that teachers will also have to incorporate a variety of perspectives into their teachings, something that isn't really practiced very much. I hope the push to use technology in schools will be based in progressive ideas of inquiry, critical thinking, and global awareness. This way, the overall pedagogy of schools might begin to shift to finally incorporate some of the ideas that Dewey wrote about decades ago. I suppose its very possible that technology be integrated empty of any theories about teaching and learning. Due to the very "nature" of the different technologies however, I do hope that the simple use of them in school will invite a wider range of learners, thinkers, and perspectives.

Giselle

Session 5- McNish

After completing the readings for this week I was struck with several reactions. It has become clear to me that as educators we have to hop on board the technology wave in order to fully be advocates for our students.

Klopfer writes, “Undoubtedly, without these recent technologies (i.e. digital games, Web 2.0, etc.) in the classroom, strong lessons can still be achieved, but there’s a sharp disconnect between the way students are taught in school and the way the outside world approaches socialization, meaning-making, and accomplishment.” (2009) Our students will be growing up in an age where technology will be a part of both their social and working life and if we want to prepare them to be responsible citizens we cannot deny teaching them valuable skills. It is also clear that because technology plays a role in their social life we might better be able to guide their learning if we incorporate their interests into our teaching.

As usual these articles get me really curious/energized for what my classroom has the possibility to look and sound like, but also overwhelmed by the amount of catching up that I have to do. After reading the Klopfer article I felt more empowered because of the descriptions of various games, simulations and websites, and how they were implemented in classrooms. I was able to explore some of them and see their value for myself. I think that with teacher scaffolding our students will be able to play a part in their own education and I think that is really exciting!

With this said, I think that we have to get our schools on board. I think that having staff development days solely based around using new technologies (media) in the classroom would be very beneficial. Even a short tutorial on how to use a smart board would be great! I was reading some of the responses to Mr. Richardson’s blog and one woman wrote about saying she tried to create a blog in math class so that her students to communicate with each other on how they were solving problems, but that in school her blog was blocked and she was unable to use it in classroom. I think that teachers and their schools need to get on the same progressive page and that it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Digital Media and Digital Youth

The MacArthur Foundation report and the Klopfer article were both interesting for me to read because they delved into some ideas I've thought about only superficially before. I've often had conversations with peers in my age group about how we were the last generation to come of age without constant access to digital media and technology. I can remember a time before the internet, when I found information in books, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. The internet was still not commonly used during my adolescence, so I can't entirely relate to younger generations who have grown up with unlimited access to these technologies. I know it's a hot button topic for the media, which generates endless stories about how MySpace is hastening the decline of civilization as we know it, and I try not to let myself buy into that alarmist perspective too much. But at the same time, I feel like social networking sites and online communities must change social interactions and learning in ways we can't yet fully understand.

Although I agree strongly with the idea of incorporating technology into the classroom, these articles did bring up some questions and feelings of hesitation for me. On the one hand, I feel like it's very important to teach students to learn using these new mediums, both for school and for their own personal interest. I also think educators have an obligation to teach their students to use these resources with a critical eye so that they are able to distinguish reliable sources for themselves. I can see the appeal of using some forms of digital games and simulations in the classroom. But at the same time, I think it's important that teachers don't allow students to rely entirely on the types of sources they will naturally gravitate towards. Students are going to use social networking sites and online research sites on their own, without any prompting or encouragement from schools. While we do have an obligation to teach them to think critically about these tools, it seems to me like a waste of valuable classroom time to spend much time talking about Facebook and how it can be used to form social networks when that is something students will learn for themselves outside of school.

The majority of today's students already know how to search for something on Google by the time they turn 10; what they may not know is how to look up a book on a given topic in the library and use it to find relevant information. I think it's especially important in the age of "digital media" not to let traditional media disappear. These resources and tools are more appealing to most students, and that's certainly something educators need to tap into. But at the same time, students need to learn to access information from a variety of different sources, not only digital.

-Molly

I read these articles with great interest. While reading them certain things came to mind.
I thought about my own youth and being excited about the technology of the day. Needless
to say the technology of that time is to the present as the Jurassic era is to the present. I
thought about my first encounter with a cell phone and how it was the size of a small
hero sandwich. I thought about my 16 year nephew and his facility with a cell and what
he uses it for. I also thought about my 8 month old daughter and wondered what technologies
will she grow up with. I teach 1st graders and interact with PK-6. A large number of these kids have smart phones and they are indeed intmately connected with them.

The point on all my ruminating is to think about how technology can potentially (and does) impact our individual classrooms and education overall. What strikes me more than ever
before is that the technological genie is out of the lamp and only a cataclysm of biblical
proportions will slow her progress. Another thought that occurred to me after reading
how kids are interacting with kids via these technologies is that teachers need to collaborate
with students rather than dictate the path that their education will take. Ask kids what
they want to learn (they're doing it anyway) and go with that flow. I don't think kids HAVE
to learn what we want them to learn, as long have they have basic skills sans technology. (Just like teachers, they should have a back up for when technology fails.) I think it's better that
we rethink our teaching and assessment to look for evidence of learning as opposed a
having them respond to a scripted curriculum.

The power of technology as a social and learning tool is undeniable. One could argue that
Obama won based in large part on the efforts of networking, technology using young people.

Teacher 2.0

This new generation of humans will share our basic biological makeup – they will mature as we matured, perhaps more speedily – thank you hormones added to food! – but ultimately they will grow into adult human beings who will, at least, physically, resemble we older ones. Their experiences will, however, vary greatly from ours. Technology will inherently alter the landscape of their lives and future existences. For infants, children and adolescents in the modern world, technology is an inescapable reality.
Technology creates virtual arenas – online “spaces” in which people “socialize” and are socialized. Truly this reality of connection without contact, connection sans physical proximity, is both exciting and scary to me. I think that teachers have an obligation to engage with technology at least as a means by which to help guide and equip their growing and maturing charges with developing identities through these new, increasingly complex and potentially dangerous virtual worlds. We need to recognize that citizenship now looks very different from when we were in school. The demands of preparing students to productively, mindfully and ethically engage in digital citizenship are real. Students are active consumers of technology and with more and more products, websites and diversions being developed and targeted to children and adolescents the likelihood of this relationship waning is minimal. So where do we go from here?
I am going to make a bizarre comment right now but stay with me for a second before passing judgment. I once heard that prisons work – at least in part – because the prisoners buy into the system – think about it, it kinda makes sense. So many prisoners, so few guards… with some organization and savvy the prisoners could make prison life much harder on their guards, etc. through active resistance. Therefore, prisoner buy-in makes the institution run smoother. I think schools are basically the same in that they work best when students buy into what schools seek to accomplish. Using technology is a means by which to meet students where they are – of validating their out-of-school existences and occupations and demonstrating respect for their passions and pursuits. Using technology, in short, can be a means by which to partner with students in their education. Teacher as authority figure is a very passé concept. Teacher as co-constructer of learning environments and experiences is Teacher 2.0. And perhaps, these articles seems to believe, that using technology is not only a way to get kids engaged but also a means by which to more effectively teach them. I say, why not? I’d much rather be part of the evolution than a casualty of the revolution.

Gaming and Student Learning

I read Klopfer's article with very mixed feelings. Yes, Web 2.0 gaming and social networking sites can offer dynamic, generative experiences which help build socialization skills like negotiation, enhanced perspective-taking and perhaps even empathy. They also offer students forums by which to access loads of information that excites their personal interest and emotional connection to concepts. And, as we all know at this point, researching a topic on the web forces our minds to collate and synthesize tremendous amounts of information very efficiently. All teachers should consider ways in which they can introduce these elements into their classrooms.

On the other hand, particularly when it comes to primary grade children, I worry that electronic games are merely an extension of television, with kids passively accepting a continuous barrage of visual images without employing the real generative brainwork required to learn. As Klopfer cites in his paper, students who are avid gamers, have a, "tendency to access information in the first instance through imagery and then use text to clarify, expand, and explore."

Our classrooms are word-based environments, with discourse in the form of written texts and teacher-led discussions forming the majority of instruction. To truly comprehend this discourse, students must be skilled at building imagery from written language first, not second. I wonder if our students extensive exposure to the types of visual imagery supplied by the web in the form of games, social networking and wiki sites will allow generative, original imagery to form in students' minds.

I don't want to sound overly pessimistic. I'm part of the Educational Games presentation group, and we feel we've identified some useful web-based educational games. In particular, we think we've discovered some games teachers might consider using with some students who have specific learning challenges. But in my experience observing children in classrooms (and especially with my own 10 and 8 year-old children at home) I see so much of the so-called "web-based learning" happening in a very passive way.

Jamie Hooper

youth culture in the digital age

While at first I found myself feeling skeptical about the Macarthur Foundation's study, "Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project," I began to understand the value of taking away barriers to youth in the online communities to which they want access. The study states, "Participation in the digital age means more than being able to access 'serious' online information and culture. Youth could benefit from educators being more open to forms of experimentation and social exploration that are generally not characteristic of educational institutions" (Macarthur Foundation, 2008). If allowing youth to access online communities, information and culture that opens up their worlds and knocks down barriers to learning that would otherwise exist, then I certainly see the value in what this study presents.
I also think of LGBT youth who live in an intolerant family or attend a homophobic school. Having access to online communities and information can save these kids from self-hatred and self-destructive behaviors, as well as provide them with a feeling of community and bonding with others who may be having similar experiences.

Ruby Stardrum

Educational Games

After doing the reading about educational games several ideas came to mind. I was intrigued by the statement “children are establishing a relationship to knowledge gathering that is alien to their parents(P. Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, Haas, 2009, P.5).” This statement highlights the fact that teachers must be provided with professional development to help them incorporate education games into the classroom. A spirit of collaboration must be fostered in which parents, teachers and children are all learning and sharing.

The article then continues on to say “Undoubtedly, without these recent technologies (i.e. digital games, Web 2.0, etc.) in the classroom, strong lessons can still be achieved, but there’s a sharp disconnect between the way students are taught in school and the way the outside world approaches socialization, meaning-making, and accomplishment. It is critical that education not only seek to mitigate this disconnect in order to make these two “worlds” more seamless, but of course also to leverage the power of these emerging technologies for instructional gain" (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, Haas, 2009, P.5).

Teachers can promote collaboration by encouraging students to speak about the games they play at home. In thinking about my classroom, I think that using educational games in the classroom will help increase many students motivation in academic areas. Some of my students say that their favorite thing to do is “sit home and play video games.” The students’ passion and enthusiasm for games may help them embrace an area of academic difficulty. By drawing students in and helping to bridge the gap between home and school students will feel empowered since they all have something to teach and learn.

While it is important for school to be a place where students can share what they do at home, it is also important that the games that are played in school be used for an instructional purpose. Technology should not be included in the classroom just for its own sake. Teachers must critically examine the games that are out there and consider the needs and interests of the learners in their classrooms. Technology should be used to enhance instruction. In order for teachers to be critical of the games that are out there, they must spend a significant amount of time ensuring that they have a defined and measurable teaching goal. Then, teachers can consider how each student will meet the objective of the lesson. Once teachers are clear about the connection between the material and the learners, technology can be included.

The task of determining which games are appropriate is not simple. Beginning teachers may wish to collaborate with grade level teachers, special education teachers and service providers in order to make an informed decision. They may also consider making observations of how each student interacts with the software. Non-bias observations may help teachers find out what works and what doesn’t work. This will enable teachers to continue to reflect on their practice as they embark on the journey of incorporating educational games into the classroom.

Multi Media and Internet

I was very interested in this article, because as an educator I am trying to make the work we do in class as relevant as possible to my students. My students (and the students of this generation) have a great deal of access to multi media and the internet. Their knowledge and understanding of this tools amazes me. Using multi media tools allows all students to be engaged in an everyday project. I saw a lot of links between this article and the first presentation on digital storytelling. The article explained that having group projects allows students to work together and collaborate, bringing in a variety of skills, knowledge, and background. Using a multimedia with a group project is a great way to teach students team building skills, roles, and responsibilities. I thought this idea of roles and responsibilities was especially interesting, because I never thought about teaching this skill through an academic project using multi media. Linking it back to the storytelling project, students would need to learn to work together, create a project, as well as meet grade level standards.

My students are extremely interested in technology and are always interested when I use a clip from the internet, allow them to use the computers, or listen to something. Technology creates rich visuals and audios that enhance what is being taught. In addition I find that these enhancements help struggling students create a picture in their own minds and really begin to understand. Technology allows teachers to differentiate easily and quickly. Using technology in class allows students to feel more connected to what they are learning and more engaged. When students are engaged and invested in what they are learning, they are more likely to take risks, and challenge themselves.

Currently, my students are writing All-About books. My grade team leader has a very specific plan of what the process for writing these books looks like, however, I am taking a little twist on this project and allowing my students to do research on the computer in addition to using books. The internet can be an incredibly amazing resource, and I think that even second graders should learn how to search for information and decide whether or not something is a reliable source. My students have begun their research and are finding out so much information. My students picked an animal to research, and I was having trouble finding enough books for each of them to use. The internet, however, has proved to be an amazing asset to the project. My students have found facts, pictures, short clips, and articles about issues involving their animals. Many students because of this have changed their topic to focus more on how their animal is endangered and what is being done, not being done, and what should be done. I am excited to see how the internet and multi media is going to shape this project!

Alicia Citor

Gaming -- more than play?

I was impacted by Klopfer's argument for the instructional power of digital games. Prior to reading the article, I admit to being a skeptic of digital games. Growing up I played games such as the Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo system. The violence that these games entailed was minimal and simplistic (e.g. squashing a mushroom or shooting a duck). Conversely, in the games played by my students today, such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto, violence is extensive and graphic. Weary of the influence of this violence as well as the addictive power of today's digital games, I was not happy to hear my students' reports of hours spent in front of the Wii, DSI, XBox, etc.,.

Klopfer's article made re-evaluate my initial judgment of digital games. Digital games, in fact, can teach our children many important lessons. For example, problem solving, strategies for navigating a complex text, coping with winning or losing, team-work, etc.,. This is not to say that I will incorporate the latest MarioKart into my instruction. But, I might be more encouraging and inquisitive when my students talk about playing video games. Furthermore, there are many educational digital games available via the Internet that are certainly worth incorporating into the classroom. Digital games can be utilized during center time or also during a whole-class lesson by using the SmartBoard. I have used www.starfall.com to support literacy instruction, particularly reading. The games provided on Starfall are differentiated according to students reading level (e.g. for students working on letters and sounds, and those working on sight words and early texts).

Let's create a class list of online digital games that we've found useful for various subjects?

Youth and Technology in the Classroom

As Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff and Haas explain, "Children are establishing a relationship to knowledge gathering which is alien to their parents and teachers" (p.3). Throughout reading the three articles for class this week I frequently reverted back to thinking about the above quote. As an educator I want to be up to date with the technologies available and more specifically the ones that my students are utilizing. While learning from your students can be a unique opportunity, I want to be in-tune enough that I will not have to be learning the bulk of my technology knowledge from my students.

As the MacArthur Study explicates, youth respect one another's authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from each other rather than from adults. I wonder if youth would be more motivated to learn from their teachers if their teachers had more knowledge surrounding technology and presented this knowledge within the classroom.

As an educator, incorporating technology into my classroom is a long terms goal for me. Instead of introducing many diverse tools at once, I would rather introduce them one at a time, once I have mastered them myself. Educators must know that without a doubt there will be problems along the way, but all lessons have the potential to encounter problems. I would feel extremely accomplished if my students respect my knowledge of technology and hopefully by integrating the technology my students use into my classroom will attain this goal.

UDL and Social Anxiety

I was so excited to read the part of Klopfer’s “Instructional Power” article in which “John,” a teacher experimenting with social media, witnessed a student with social anxiety take an increasingly active role in the class’ online discourse. I really related to this because as a teenager I absolutely hated participating in class discussions. I was prone to tangling up my words and/or forgetting what I wanted to say as soon as I opened my mouth. Responding to anyone who challenged my viewpoints was even more difficult, as I found it nearly impossible to construct a coherent response without time to mentally prepare myself. As a result, I played a marginal role in most of my high school classes and was truly engaged on very few occasions. On the other hand, I routinely engaged others in dialogue (and even arguments) through emails, IMs, and on message boards, where I was able to carefully choose my words before I submitted them.

      What a difference it might have made if I could have merged these two worlds in high school! At the very least, I could have contributed my ideas online; it is not difficult to imagine that carving out a space for myself in the “digital classroom” might have translated into increased comfort in the “real-life” classroom as well. When we have spoken of UDL in this class and others, often we tend to think of our children who are diagnosed with learning disabilities or difficulty with certain academic skills. This article reminds us that we must also consider those with mental health issues – diagnosed and undiagnosed – as well as those students who are simply not comfortable participating in classroom discourse in “traditional” ways.

      A quick note on the first two readings for this week - I really enjoyed that they included an article (the MacArthur report), a response to an article (in Richardson's blog) and then a huge array of replies to that response. I found this to be a great illustration why young people (and many not-so-young people as well!) are more apt to turn to the internet for information than to more static and one-sided sources that have been traditionally valued. This is especially relevant in light of an article I just read in the Times today about the latest happenings in the Texas textbook "wars" (check it out here). When a considerable chunk of the history textbooks American students are reading have been influenced by a board of politically-motivated Texas teachers, we should be thankful that the internet provides a space for sharing alternative opinions and debating the merits of all sides of an argument.

Social networking sites in the classroom? Your thoughts?

While facebook is a lifeline for me, I had always thought of it as a guilty pleasure outside my professional and academic life. As a substitute teacher, I had to enforce schools’ rules against such social networking sites used during the school day. I even hid myself from my students, raising my privacy as high as it could go, so that no 15-year-old could know what Miss Larson was like in her college days. I felt that social networking was something to be kept far, far away from the classroom.

This is why it interested me to see in the article “The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and How Teachers Can Leverage Them,” the author suggested that social networking sites have a powerful role in the classroom. Sites such as Ning, Think.com, Diigo, and Panwapa combine the discussion power of a blog and the social networking power of facebook or MySpace. Not only are students sharing what they believe and know, but they are also able to create their own profile and connect with other students with similar ideas and interests. These websites focus on the educational benefits that social networking can create. Each website is a bit distinct, but most operate on a more private and safe premise than something like facebook. Their purposes are also very different from mere entertainment. They connect teacher-to-student and student-to-student so they can collaborate with each other. This could assist group projects, facilitate discussion and share of ideas, and bring people together in a lower-pressure environment than face-to-face connection.

These educational social networking websites sound great in theory. My question is: Has anyone actually tried social networking sites in their classrooms? What have been the results? If you haven’t tried it...would you? In what context and age range?

Thoughts on the Digital Media Report

After just finishing reading this report about the youth and digital media, I found it to be very eyeopening. I know younger and younger children are becoming more and more technologically savvy, but it is still hard for me to grasp. I can only just think about when I was a child and compare my childhood experience to the limited amounts of technology that we had. Now, at the school I am teaching in, we have two technology teachers. The staff tries to integrate technology into the curriculum as much as possible and I am amazed at what whizzes our students are at the computer.

The thing I found the most interesting in the report was that the teaching of the new medias is done more through student to student, than teacher to student. In a way then, the teaching of technologies should be more focused on the younger grades and then gradually released the the students as they get older. There are so many new social networking sites and programs that it is extremely hard to keep up. Of course, there is facebook and myspace, but now they have twitter and something I think called chat roulette. I'm only 22 and even I can barely keep up with all the new things happening on the internet.

After reading the report it really started to make me think about nowadays friendships. Since more and more children are turning to social networking, instant messaging, and texting, how are they developing the proper social skills for today's society and workplace? Yes, they see their friends at school, but when they go home, what do they do? They go on their computers or play video games, completely isolating things. It is not often that I hear from my students, "Name came over to my house last night to play and hang out." The only thing I really hear is, "Mr. Heber, I went home last night and played video games until I went to bed," or, "Mr. Heber I went on website last night. You make up a person and then you go around and talk to people." I was really taken aback when I heard that my fourth graders were going into online chatrooms. Granted, these chatrooms are meant for children but I couldn't help but think of online predators. The world is becoming a lot smaller because of the internet and it should be our goal as educators to teach the proper skills and knowledge needed for this technologically based society.

Digital Games

I was surprised to read about how video games such as, World of Warcraft implicitly teach kids some important skills. It never dawned on me that even these types of games reinforced skills that are important for kids to be practicing. I think that this is great because it is something that kids LOVE to do and yet they still view it as fun because they don't realize that they are learning at the same time. In the past, I have always struggled with my view on video games. I work with kids on the autism spectrum and while some of my students are very passionate about these video games, they can quickly lead to an unhealthy obsession for them and infringe upon their learning. In the past, I have used more traditional educational games such as, www.starfall.com and some of my students have loved it. Many of them made some significant progress in reading by playing these games, whereas they were not making progress when they were taught reading the standard way. The games were really motivating to them and allowed them to generalize what they were learning through the game to other contexts. On the other hand, I have some other students who love to play more modern video games such as Sonic and Mario on the Wii. Prior to reading this article, I was not sure how beneficial games like these would be to my students from an educational perspective, however, now I can see how these games could help a great deal with my students' hand-eye coordination, processing speed, problem-solving, and strategy techniques. I also think that being able to accept a loss within the game and experiencing the various emotions surrounding that, as well as the emotions experienced when you win the game, is something that is really important for my students to feel, experience, and recognize. We have actually just started a video game club in my school and I am now looking forward to it having read this article.

--Megan Miller

Google Lit Trips - totally worth it!

After a student who was in this class last semester tipped me off to Google Lit Trips, I integrated the Abuela trip into my unit on families from around the world. To be honest, the trip itself was full of broken links and mediocre narration/imagery, but it provided an incredible framework for my students to explore the concepts of difference and distance between their homes in New York City and the island from which many of their families immigrated - Puerto Rico.

It was extremely difficult for me to secure a projector and a laptop to show my students the program - I think this is important to note, because it is a reality in many public schools here in New York, and deters many teachers from using technology at all. When I brought my students into the library for the presentation, though, I knew it was worth it. I read Abuela out loud and as we moved through the book, we traveled on Google Earth from our school to San Juan onscreen. The children were fascinated - "How does the computer take pictures of our neighborhood?!" When we made the jump from Manhattan to Puerto Rico, the students extended their arms and "flew" like Abuela and her granddaughter. By coupling the readaloud with Google Earth, the students gained a much deeper understanding of the difference in the landscape between the two cities - the water on the Puerto Rican coast is bluer, the land is hillier and greener, the houses appear to be smaller and more spread out. The kids were hooked on the digital images, and were extremely enthusiastic throughout the lesson.

I would certainly recommend this resource - if you've got the technology in your classroom, it's quite easy, and if not, I think it's worth the trouble. Many of the trips are a bit "buggy" though, and it may be wise to use the existing trip as a framework for designing your own around your students' interests and the specific objective you're trying to accomplish.

Harper Keenan

Trying the video response for the first time!

One more thing I forgot to say...I forgot to mention how when looking at the GoogleLitTrips.com website I saw that there was a Grapes of Wrath Lit Trip. I think often we don't see how easy it is to bring sort of this classic literature to meet the interest level and spark engagement of students in the 21st century and I think that this type of thing is great for bringing Literature to Life. As well as, bringing out the reader in all of us!

Google Earth- Bringing the Outside In

Until reading the article on “Google Lit Trips”, I had never heard of them before, but I can easily see why they encourages students into “deeper thinking”. But these “Lit Trips” are just one of the many ways that Google Maps/Google Earth can be integrated into the classroom. This type of technology shows just how easily we can bring the outside in. Using Google Earth/ Google Maps can help students better understand what they are learning about in nearly any subject and can make their experience as realistic as if they were actually there. In a matter of seconds, students can literally go across the globe and observe everything from street corners to mountain ranges right from their seats. These trips can be helpful in schools where field trips are difficult for many reasons, especially in schools where funding is an issue or where students have disabilities that would prevent them in participating in such activities. In addition, schools that may have easier access to field trips should not ignore these technologies since they would be very helpful in enhancing their real life field trips. These virtual trips are a great way to engage students of all ages and backgrounds and their activities can be easily adapted to meet individual needs and preferences. Creating a virtual trip similar to the “Lit Trip” is something I look forward to bringing to my own classroom.

Mixed Feelings.

Like many of my other classmates, I have very mixed feelings about the use of cellphones in the classroom. Although I completely agree with the podcast and my peers when they discuss the opportunities for children to express themselves in a form other than written language, I do not necessarily think that cell phones are the way to go about this. My biggest concern is not so much for students as it is for teachers' attitudes towards the technology and the atmosphere it can create in the classroom. Many teachers already find the thought of using technology in the classroom scary. Even more so, many students already find it tempting to take out their cell phones and text during class. If cell phones are integrated into the classroom, it might set a mindset for students that using cell phones in class is okay despite what they are being used for. Having more children sneaking text messages would just confirm the thoughts that non-technologically inclined teachers already have towards using technology in the classroom. Also if we are simply talking about being able to express yourself vocally instead of writing your thoughts down, tape recorders, digital ones if you insist on posting online, can serve the same purpose. Further more, if one agrees to allow this particular use for cell phones in the classroom, one is assuming that every child has a cell phone. Depending on a family's social-economic status and even parental views on cell-phones, not every student is going to have one. Even if one insists on making every student purchase a digital tape recorder the same way as students are asked to purchase a TI-89 graphing calculator upon entering the world of high school math, this one time expense will be a lot cheaper for parents than a monthly cell phone bill. Like I said, I can see the benefits of using cell phones in a classroom. I even had a college bio professor that encouraged us to email him pictures using cameras or camera phones of things in nature that tied in to what we were learning at the time, using extra credit for pictures that made his lecture slides as incentive. However, I don't think that this particular form of technology is necessary or even appropriate for a classroom.

Google Lit Trip and Interdiciplinary Learning

I was really excited about Google Lit Trips and the implications of this website for teaching and learning. The best way to interest students is to actively engage them in the material that they are learning and to make it relevant to their lives. This site allows teachers to add a rich geographical component to literature, making content more real and tangible. Students can actually follow the journeys of their favorite protagonists, understand the terrain where they lived and /or see how those exact places changed over time all with Google Earth.
In my classroom, teaching time and space can be very difficult when discussing ancient civilizations, past decades or even the future. Maps are a visual tool which can depict local terrains, cities, countries, bodies of water etc... but regardless of their visual component, maps are still an abstraction and we still need to do more to make concepts and material relevant to children. I love the idea of using a story like "The Family Apart" to not only teach about a historical episode and time period, but to use the act of mapping in a 3-Dimensional nature to enhance the narrative and actively engage the students further into the story. As I read how Anne Brusca used this tool to teach "The Family Apart" I realized that Google Lit Trip can be an amazing tool for supplementing both English and Social Studies curriculum's.
As a teacher who needs lots of instruction when engaging with technology, it's important that new technology be user friendly, accessible and help me engage students in interdisciplinary and inquiry based learning. Google Lit Trip is free, easy to download and easy to use and understand. It also has vast applications in the inquiry based student-centered classroom. Yay!

Cell Phones in the Classroom

was intrigued by the podcast about cell phones in the classroom. Using cell phones in the classroom can be empowering for students. It takes something familiar and uses it in an unfamiliar way, thereby creating a sense of disequilibrium and fostering student learning. The students in these classrooms were challenged to master new content in a new way using an object that was already familiar to them. For some students, this may have been overwhelming while for others it may have been a reprieve from other forms of communication. I can only imagine how some of my students would have enjoyed the freedom to express themselves through speech rather than the written form. This type of project offers some students a unique opportunity to show what they really know, rather than being limited by the formalities of writing. It is also provides teachers with the chance to assess students true abilities by providing multiple entry points and means of assessment. As Kate pointed out, the use of cell phones in the classroom can inspire a discussion about the value of multiple means of communication. If I were to do this in my classroom, I would provide a broad framework for students and discuss what communication is by comparing and contrasting different communication modalities.

Additionally, doing something new and innovative can create a unique shared learning experience between teachers and students. Teachers and students can learn together and from one another. The teacher interviews demonstrate that they would have revised their explanations and reactions if they were doing this experience again. Additionally, there were opportunities for students to work together. To me, it seemed like using cell phones in the classroom, as they were described in the Podcast created a learning culture of sharing and collaboration, while allowing students to access the curriculum in a way that met their needs. Most importantly, the podcast demonstrated that even the most innovative ideas must be reflected on and revised. Learning is a continuous process, both for students and teachers.

Google Lit Trips

I am very impressed by the Google Lit Trips technology, particularly because of the fact that it offers an array of resources for students from Kindergarten through higher education. I am also drawn to Google Lit Trip's ability to equalize the playing field for students who are unable to travel. Geography is often a difficult subject for children, especially when learning about unfamiliar places. Some of my students rarely even leave the Bronx, let alone New York City. Limited travel experience, often a factor of socio-economic status, can be a hindrance when having discussions with my students about the setting of a particular text. Google Lit Trips would also be a beneficial reading scaffold for students with special needs for whom visualization and inferencing can be especially challenging. This would be a wonderful differentiation and engagement tool for all students. I wonder if Google Lit Trips could be created for historic road trips, not particular to a piece of literature, to be utilized in the Social Studies classroom?

Google Lit. Trip reflection

I felt really inspired after reading the article on Edutopia about the Google Lit Trips program. We all know that many children learn best by doing, and this is one way that students can engage more thoroughly with literature. This program can provide a visual and spatial context through which children can have a more in-depth understanding of the books they read. I'm confused about how the program works, though. Can you take a virtual trip to anywhere in the world, or does it depend on whether Google Lit Trips already has information about the book you are studying?
I think that this program would be best used after reading a book with a class. It seems that it would be important for students to visualize the book on their own first (perhaps using sticky-notes and journaling exercises) before moving on to actually take a look at the book spatially through Google Lit Trips.

Ruby Stardrum

Assessment & Technology-Enhanced Classroom Activites

Honestly, I felt very conflicted after reading this week’s article (and listening to the podcast - but I'll only address the article here). The reasons for my ambivalence are complex but I will try to explain them well despite my uneasiness.

With regard to the article on Google Lit trips, I was concerned with the correlation the librarian made between the apparent intentness of the students with their achieving deeper levels of learning. I don’t necessarily agree that a student’s level of intentness reflects his or her level of academic understanding. While I do agree that a student is more likely to achieve higher and deeper levels of understanding when he is actively engaged in content-related activities, I do not agree that an automatic assumption can be made between engagement and learning. I think that, as ever, assessment of student understanding is necessary to draw the conclusion that learning is occurring. This reading called to mind a student that I have met at my student teaching placement. He is an ELL with limited previous formal schooling. The school is not currently equipped to provide him with adequate transitional or bilingual services and so he is often placed in front of a computer on a website called Study Island. One day I sat beside him and noticed that he was engaged – not a peep did he utter, not was his attention diverted from the screen – but that he was also just clicking random buttons. He was engaged but definitely not in learning: for him it appeared that technology=game and he was trying to play well rather than learn content. While there are many issues with this situation, one of them is the possibility of conflating engagement with learning. I’m not expressing an anti-technology philosophy here; I am, however, expressing the belief that using technology heightens the need for periodic, formal and informal assessments.

Cellphones in the Classroom

I was very impressed with all your postings re this week's topics. I share the same sense of joy and the same sense of caution with regard to using cellphones in the classroom. My first reaction , as I'm sure some of you felt (and wrote) was WHAAAAAAAT? Then I became curious about how that might work.

The things that came to mind for me while hearing the teachers reflect on their work was that it could be a very good thing to take advantage of a teenager's egocentrism in a positive way by using a tool they are really familiar with. I believe one of the teachers mentioned that she hoped the experience wouldn't feel like work. Another thing that came to mind for me was the need to be extremely careful when contemplating and/or introducing a new technology based wrinkle to instruction. I love, Love, LOVE technology and I am very anxious to get it into the classroom but I have to hold myself in check to make sure I'm really teaching rather than attempting to "wow" students.

I very much agree with Zach who stated, "The question should no longer be 'how do we integrate technology,' but rather should be 'how do we integrate learning into technology.'" I think if we look at it that way, we as teachers will have an easier time of it.

One of, if the the most valuable piece that I take away from the podcast was hearing the teachers reflect on their experience. That was the point, wasn't it? I think it clearly sparked a great deal of reflection on the part of the listeners who responded. It has helped me to see the value of teacher blogs and I'd be very much interested in either joining or starting one beyond this class.

Geof

Cell Phones as Differentiation Tool for Teachers

Although I was initially skeptical prior to listening to this podcast (Cell phones in the classroom? Are you kidding?!!!), based on hearing the experiences of these teachers, I can definitely see how this might be an effective instructional strategy in working with some students under certain circumstances. One teacher's description of her students calling in with their "Dear Abby" letters as an assignment in their Romeo and Juliet curriculum was especially compelling for me. I could easily envision how this would turn students on by offering a comfortable, familiar method for engaging with the material. For 9th graders tasked with an assignment like this -- a personal letter -- the cell phone strategy would seem like an obvious and well-targeted method of expression to offer students.
So this teacher's use of www.drop.io (a tricky URL, no ".com") worked in this case. I think it's important that, as with any tool, it's seen as a tool for differentiation. Some students would obviously feel uncomfortable using this technology. They may feel anxiety about having their voices heard by the class or they may have expressive language issues that affect their oral language output. However, for students who are confident making oral presentations, or may be experiencing trouble coherently communicating thoughts and concepts in their writing, this might be a fantastic option to build confidence and engage deeply with the concepts.
One thing I would want to make sure to do (and I'd love to use this tool in my class someday) is to model the process from beginning to end at the outset. Start with modeling note-taking and script-writing that employs a graphic organizer so the main concepts are covered in a logical way during the "call". Then actually model making a short oral presentation through the phone and have everyone listen to the results. This way, the comfort level will be raised, the educative elements of the technology and process will be highlighted, and students understand that using this cell phone strategy does not let us off the hook from understanding these concepts. It's simply an alternative means of expression that will connect well with your strengths as a student.

Jamie Hooper

Cell Phones in the classroom

I had mixed feelings about the use of cell phones in the classroom after listening to this podcast. On the one hand I can certainly see the appeal because it's novel and uses a form of technology many teenagers are already very interested in. But on the other hand, I think the activities you used cell phones for would have to be very carefully considered, or you would just be using them for the sake of using them.

I thought it was a good idea to provide the option of calling in homework assignments since some students might feel more comfortable in that format than in writing, but I also thought it would need some serious consideration and structure to ensure that the work expectations were equitable for calling in assignments versus writing them. Otherwise, I could imagine students spending two minutes to record a phone call with no preparation simply because it would be easier than taking the time to organize and write a response. I think it would be important to develop a clear rubric beforehand for both formats.

Overall I think it's always a good idea to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in different ways, but it must be done with the end learning goals in mind. While novelty can be a powerful teaching tool in and of itself, when the novelty wears off and is no longer enough to keep students invested, there needs to be another reason or goal driving the use of the technology.

--Molly Betty

Google Lit Trips

After reading this article, I found Google Lit Trips so cool! If I was still in school and either while or after reading a book could take a 'trip', I think it would be SO awesome. I can remember reading the book, Number the Stars, in the fifth grade and being completely engrossed in the story. But I was always slightly confused about where the story took place. I knew it was in Europe and during World War II, but other than that I had no clue. If my teacher could have taken us on a Google Lit Trip, it would have meant so much more to my reading. I could have been able to see firsthand where the characters were going, the length of their journey, and be able to relate to myself. I am a very visual learner and I would be so excited to use a computer to supplement my learning. When I am a classroom teacher I will definitely use Google Lit Trips to supplement my students' learning. I can only imagine the books that I could take my students on a Google Lit Trip with. It would be an excellent way of bringing the outside in.

Cell phones in the classroom - voicethread response

Although I enjoyed this podcast, it raised a number of questions and concerns for me.

Voicethread response

- Mollie M.

Cell Phones in the Classroom

I thought the podcast about using cell phones in the classroom was an extremely interesting idea. Allowing students to use a tool that they use all the time in a non-academic setting and giving it an academic purpose is exciting for students. Students are constantly being asked to use textbooks and worksheets in class and using a cell phone in class to do work is so different than their usual experience. This difference is engaging and exciting for kids.

I work in a special education middle school. I think giving kids an opportunity to use their cell phones to do some assignments could be beneficial to some of my students. Some of my students have trouble writing and using a cell phone would remove the writing aspect to the assignment. I think using a cell phone is also a useful tool in helping kids reflect on their work as they are able to listen to their recording after the fact.

I am excited to introduce this tool into my classroom.

Cell Phones, iPods, Netbooks... all banned from the classroom.

I live a very technologically advanced life.  And, frankly, most people now between 4 and 60 do.  Corporate executives each have at least one Blackberry phone and children on the train are playing their Nintendo DS.  Middle aged women are reconnecting with high school classmates on Facebook (my mother the prime example).  And widowed senior citizens are looking online for dates.  And of course teenagers are blogging, tweeting, IMing, updating online profiles, purchasing things online, searching online encyclopedias, etc.

Technology is an integral part to many Americans' lives but almost none of it is permitted in the classroom.  And when it is, we set strict limits and give stern warnings about deviating from the lesson.  I can't remember the last time I wrote a paper and didn't respond to emails, update my Facebook status, or download my latest credit card transactions.  We talk about integrating technology into the classroom, and then we do so in a completely forced and unnatural way. 

The question should no longer be 'how do we integrate technology,' but rather should be 'how do we integrate learning into technology.'  But the world is changing and so will education.  Textbooks are now being scrapped for tablet computers with textbooks installed.  It's economical - saves raw material, distribution expenses, and perhaps even sales people.  These "texts" will begin to be fully technologically integrated with immediate access to interactive maps, video, audio, blogs, demonstrations, and more. 

Cell phones are an obvious first step to every student having a tablet computer.  The school in which I teach is located in what is considered an area of concentrated poverty, however, about 75% of the students have cell phones.  Texting in answers can provide for immediate formative assessment data.  Calling in verbal responses perhaps is a better (and more universal) way of checking for understanding than writing on paper.  And taking pictures with camera phones is a much better way for students to show things from home (ex: find examples of levers in your home).  The cell phone ideas and Google Literature trips are just two great ways to integrate technology, but it's time that we make technology the medium for education - not an add-on.

Virtual Trips

The idea for the Google Lit Trip is a great one. It's another example of an interactive, multimedia project that can engage so many different learners and, as Brusca points out, bring them "to deeper learning."

I once created a virtual field trip as part of a Social Studies unit dealing with The Munich Agreement, a somewhat obscure historical document which played a terribly significant role in Hitler's expansion through Europe, the Holocaust and WWII. Much like Brusca's activity, this virtual field trip involved a series of hyperlinks set within a booklet which guided the students on a tour through the Holocuast Museum in Washington, DC. The pages of the booklet consisted of descriptions of what the students were seeing as they toured through the links, questions the students were prompted to answer, space for them to answer these questions, spaces where the kids could draw visual reresentations of information they were being asked to process, etc. A whole host of activities, similar to what kids would be asked to do if they were actually walking through the halls of the museum.

What is so terrific about these virtaul trips is the fact that they can so effectively bring to life information that is extremely complex. Or, to put it educational terms, move information from the abstract into the concrete, which can sometimes be extremely challenging within the confines of a classroom and using only text in a history book. As they clicked on the links the kids could see photographs of the people and the places, read letters, listen to audio, and watch digital images, including actual video footage of the signing of the Agreement. And they could examine pictures of the actual document itself, which is on display in the museum. The acitivty was met with much positive feedback.

By simply including links to a variety of activities and media available in the museum's website, I was able to reach so many different modalities. Also important is the fact that a field trip to Washington, DC and the actual Holocaust Museum would undoubtedly be cost prohibitive for most school settings. So such virtual trips can truly be a way for schools to, as the author of the article points out, "integrate technology without spending a lot of money." Moreover, I think such virtual trips can not only transport the kids to a museum, for example, they are a readily available, engaging, and dynamic way to actually transport them back in time.

Jeff Kulick

Google Lit Trip

In a recent conversation in my classroom where the teacher show the Google world map on the smart board and mapped out a trip one student was about to take with his parents from New York to three different countries in Asia allowed me some real insight on how the lesson in this classroom might have been. I was completely able to relate to the excitement the children felt. It was quite the same in my classroom. Student became so engross in the details of the number of hours it would take the time difference what food he would be eating and so on. The fact that only a computer, a smart board and access to the Web was needed shows that technology is a necessity and should be required in every classroom. When I read the article I realize how I could use technology even in an Elementary classroom and make it relevant for children who might never leave the place in which they were born. Using Google map to re-trace someone's path essentially teaches geography and literature and is an excellent idea for students and teachers to show different places and countries of the world and It makes learning about (someone we might not otherwise be interested in) concrete. I can envision teaching history and geography and other subjects using this tools. It is such a great way to stir imaginations. My own experiences as a student required me, when reading about far away countries to use my imagination to “see” so I would be careful to about only using one tool; rather this should be part of a selection of tools to help stir imaginations.

Ann-Marie

I have made a slide show of this week's blog. It is available for download here.

Google Lit Trip

I think that the Google Lit Trip, along with many other websites like this can and should be integrated into the classrooms to help enhance course content and facilitate learning. With all the new technology out there, I think that it is important to take advantage of it and bring it into the classroom. Most students already have such a strong interest in technology, that I can only see this further enhancing and broadening the lesson at hand. As the article explained, the students were able to use the technology out there and really learn more about what they were studying, that they became really invested in it and were inspired to start helping out on their own. It is also important to introduce students to what is available out there and let them explore it and see where it takes them, especially with this ever growing technologically based world. In my classroom, we have used the internet to look at various literature that we had been studying in class. We are reading the Gingerbread Boy now, and have let the students use the internet to explore all the various versions of the same story that are out there. From here we are able to have discussions about which versions are our favorite and why. We have also used it to examine the similarities and differences between the different texts.

--Megan Miller

Cell Phones in School?!- Elena McNish

I am currently in the childhood general/special education program here at Bank Street, and after listening to the podcast by Liz Kolb, for a brief moment I wished that I was working with middle school or high school students. I really appreciated the ideas that the two student teachers had for their students. The use of cell phones are forbidden within any classroom, but the truth is that most teenagers own one and regularly bring their phones to school.
I really liked the idea of giving students the option to call in their homework to the website droppio (I’m not sure if that’s the correct spelling?). I think that it was creative and it definitely fits in perfectly with UDL. The students were still meant to do the same assignment but they were given two different ways of completing it (written/oral). Cell phones are so taboo in school and I think that incorporating them (in appropriate ways) is an awesome idea. The student teacher was able to connect with her students and make their learning more meaningful.
As a teacher I think that it is important to recognize the influence technology has and will continue to have on our students as we move into a more technological future. I think that by making an effort to do so will greatly impact our teaching for the better and also allow us to meet our students needs in interests.