Technology Teacher 12/21/2015

• Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | TED Talk | TED.com

  • important part of education as a sort of compulsory subject?
  • Well, I think there are about three reasons: technical jobs so critical to the development of our economies, what I call "everyday living" -- to function in the world today, you've got to be pretty quantitative, much more so than a few years ago: figure out your mortgages, being skeptical of government statistics, those kinds of things -- and thirdly, what I would call something like logical mind training, logical thinking.
  • Well, I think it's about four steps, roughly speaking, starting with posing the right question. What is it that we want to ask? What is it we're trying to find out here? And this is the thing most screwed up in the outside world, beyond virtually any other part of doing math. People ask the wrong question, and surprisingly enough, they get the wrong answer, for that reason, if not for others. So the next thing is take that problem and turn it from a real world problem into a math problem. That's stage two. Once you've done that, then there's the computation step. Turn it from that into some answer in a mathematical form. And of course, math is very powerful at doing that. And then finally, turn it back to the real world. Did it answer the question? And also verify it -- crucial step. Now here's the crazy thing right now.
  • math education, we're spending about perhaps 80 percent of the time teaching people to do step three by hand.
  • the one step computers can do better than any human after years of practice
  • we ought to be using computers to do step three and using the students to spend much more effort on learning how to do steps one, two and four -- conceptualizing problems, applying them, getting the teacher to run them through how to do that.
  • think in terms of the fact that math has been liberated from calculating. But that math liberation didn't get into education yet.
  • I estimated that, just today, across the world, we spent about 106 average world lifetimes teaching people how to calculate by hand.
  • hat's absolutely the right thing, for people to follow their self-interest. I was somewhat interested in ancient Greek, but I don't think that we should force the entire population to learn a subject like ancient Greek.
  • might follow with their own interest and perhaps even be spiked into doing that.
  • A hundred years ago, it's certainly true that to drive a car you kind of needed to know a lot about the mechanics of the car and how the ignition timing worked and all sorts of things. But automation in cars allowed that to separate, so driving is now a quite separate subject, so to speak, from engineering of the car or learning how to service it.
  • "No paper?" (Laughter) If you were born after computers and paper, it doesn't really matter which order you're taught with them in, you just want to have the best tool.
  • "Computers dumb math down." That somehow, if you use a computer, it's all mindless button-pushing, but if you do it by hand, it's all intellectual.
  • school practically today is more than applying procedures to problems they don't really understand, for reasons they don't get?
  • So the problem we've really got in math education is not that computers might dumb it down, but that we have dumbed-down problems right now.
  • So programming is the way I think we should be doing that. So to be clear, what I really am suggesting here is we have a unique opportunity to make maths both more practical and more conceptual, simultaneously.
  • I even talk about us moving from what we often call now the "knowledge economy" to what we might call a "computational knowledge economy," where high-level math is integral to what everyone does in the way that knowledge currently is.
  • completely renewed, changed math curriculum built from the ground up, based on computers being there, computers that are now ubiquitous almost. Calculating machines are everywhere and will be completely everywhere in a small number of years

• Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | TED Talk | TED.com

  • e've got a real problem with math education right now. Basically, no one's very happy. Those learning it think it's disconnected, uninteresting and hard. Those trying to employ them think they don't know enough. Governments realize that it's a big deal for our economies, but don't know how to fix it.
  • I believe that correctly using computers is the silver bullet for making math education work.
  • real world and what it looks like in education
  • education it looks very different -- dumbed-down problems, lots of calculating, mostly by hand.

• Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us - YouTube

  - They gave them these challenges and, to incentivise performance, they gave them three levels of reward. If you did pretty well, you got a small monetary reward. If you did medium well, you got a medium monetary reward. If you were one of the top performers, you got a large cash prize - As long as the task involved only mechanical skill, bonuses worked as they would be expected. - Once the task called for even rudimentary cognitive skill, a larger reward led to poorer performance. - the higher the reward, the better the performance. They're saying that once you get above rudimentary cognitive skill, it's the other way around. -I mean, sorry, low performance - two weeks' salary. Medium performance - a month's salary. High performance - two months' salary. Those are real good incentives. You'll get a different result here. -Higher incentives led to worse performance. - For tasks that are algorithmic, a set of rules you have to follow and get a right answer, "if then" rewards, carrot and stick, outstanding! - when it requires conceptual, creative thinking, those kinds of motivators demonstrably don't work. - The best use of money as a motivator is to pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table, so they're not thinking about money, they're thinking about the work -They're saying, "You probably want to do something interesting. "Let me get out of your way." One day of autonomy produces things that had never emerged. - Many are technically sophisticated, highly skilled people who have jobs. OK? They have jobs! They're working at jobs for pay, doing sophisticated technological work. And yet, during their limited discretionary time, they do equally, if not more, technically sophisticated work, not for their employer, but for someone else for free. - What we're seeing now is when the profit motive becomes unmoored from the purpose motive, - When the profit motive is paramount or when it becomes completely unhitched from the purpose motive, people don't do great things. - we start treating people like people, 10:18 not assuming that they're simply horses - slower, smaller, better smelling horses - if we get past the ideology of carrot and stick and look at the science, we can build organizations and work lives that make us better off. - our world just a little bit better

• Creating a Culture of Collaboration Through Technology Integration | always learning

  

• Teacher Collaboration with Technology Integration

  -It should not be misunderstood that all teachers who do not currently utilize technologynecessarily feel that there is no benefit from integrating technology into a lesson. - For example, theuse of an online grade book, such as PowerSchool, can be viewed as something additionalthat the teacher must use. If the teacher is already maintaining a traditional paper-basedgrade book, then surely an online grade book is an added task. However, an online gradebook provides many time-saving advantages over the traditional version.- The differences between technology-based learningand paper-and-pencil learning started a new discussion about teaching and learning throughtechnology. Wolfram points out that to the students, who were born into the age oftechnology, which came first is irrelevant. -The technology integratordoes not become an expert within each subject area; the integrator instead often looks atexisting lessons and activities and suggests modifications that will further engage students ina way where they can show what they know.- In addition to understandingthe technology and technological resources available within the school, the integrator mustunderstand the pedagogy behind the tool use and quickly grasp the intent of the objectiveswithin a lesson or subject provided by the teacher he or she is working with.

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Technology Integrators Wear Many Hats

Technology is a tool that is becoming increasingly helpful in classrooms across the country. Teachers need to more than ever be up-to-date on their teaching practices and need to be aware of the new technologies that come out everyday. This is a constant struggle for teachers and is a reason why many schools have adopted the new position of Technology Integrator in school districts. Just like every new position that has been created based on new needs in schools districts, the job description can be varied and filled by different types of educators. These educators need to wear many hats in order to meet the needs of a school districts  to organize the new technology that they squeeze out of dwindling school budgets. The first hat every technology integrator must have in their closet is an understanding of professional development.

Professional development is a key part of introducing technology to curriculum and every integrator needs to know how  to meet the needs of their teachers. They need to do their homework and present teachers research to back up technology use in the classroom. They have to understand that teachers feel overworked, undervalued, and constantly pressured to try what the new fix in education. Professional development workshops need to be backed by research because teachers who understand the research "are more likely to reform classroom instruction (Meltzer, 2012)." They also have to realize that while many teachers know how to teach their curriculum but "do not have an extensive knowledge of technology (Meltzer, 2012)." Workshops, in-service training's and PD Days should be centered on how to use technology that teachers have access to and have the opportunity to implement into lessons that are using. This hat can be hard to wear because of the wide variety of categories teachers can fall into with their feelings of technology. It is the job of the integrator to introduce methods of technology use that will "ultimately engage the students (Module One Overview). " This will give teachers more willingness to "work diligently to incorporate and integrate technology into each and every lesson (Module One Overview)." Technology integrators need to make teachers comfortable with technology because it is a valuable tool. Think of technology as a drill and a technology integrator as a sales associate in a hardware store. When customer comes in looking for a tool to drill a hole, the associate must recommend them a type of drill that will best make that hole. This is an important analogy because an integrator must remember you need to help them use the tool to do what they need in the classroom not just sell them the drill(Okojie, Olinzock, & Okojie-Boulder, n.d.). Teachers don't need the technology, they need the way in order to use the technology to improve their teaching.

In order to understand what tool works best for the teacher, the next hat the integrator must wear is one of a teacher. they need to understand teaching pedagogy in order to recommend the proper tool. Technology need to fit in the pedagogy of a lesson in order for it to be effective. Technology needs to be "part of the instructional process and not an appendage to be attached at any convenient stage during the course of instruction (Okojie, Olinzock, & Okojie-Boulder, n.d.). This means that the technology should only be the vehicle for learning not the ultimate driver. The technology teacher needs to be able to either understand best practices in the classroom or be willing to sit with teachers who know pedagogy and give them tools to help them engage students. If teachers do not have this knowledge than technology integration needs to include "pedagogy-based training helping teachers understand the role of learning theory in the design and function of class activities and in the selection and use of instructional technologies (Okojie, Olinzock, & Okojie-Boulder, n.d.).  The process of learning should be supplemented and supported by the use of technology to allow that process to be more successful. Technology needs to be used in a way that results in inquiry learning more than just a way to type a paper. It needs to be used to create collaboration and problem solving skills to truly create pedagogy that can challenge and engage students. This can be a hard hat to wear because of some of the ways teachers teach do not allow for proper technology use and can be a major reason for resistance.

These are just two of the hats that a technology integrator must possess, but they will not be the only hats they wear. They have to be ready for many challenges that they will face. There will be early adopters and there will be resisters. In a survey of student teachers, "(70%) maintain that it[technology] is a tool for instruction; they fail to relate it to pedagogy or identify how it will help them to improve their teaching or facilitate learning" (Okojie, Olinzock, & Okojie-Boulder, n.d.). This is an issue for teachers entering a field where students are craving technologies in the classroom. They are not taught how to integrate technology into their classroom because they were taught to teach the way there teachers were taught. Technology is increasing at such a rate that it is a challenge in its self just to stay current on educational technologies. Some teachers will maintain the stance that practices such as "just memorize something from a textbook, or if you just read it over and over again, or watched it in someone else's film" when the students could be taking ownership of their learning and creating a video or researching on the internet ("An Introduction to Technology Integration," n.d.). Technology Integrators need to work with teachers to create lessons that require students to synthesize information that they have available to them by internet. They should help teachers do away with assignments that do not allow them to use the internet or review their notes. These are old methods when information was not readily available at their finger tips. Teach teachers to not ask questions that can be answered by a simple google searches and instead teach them questions that require research first in order to answer. This will be a challenge for an integrator because they will have to guide these shifts in pedagogy and provide technology tools that will make it easier for teachers to engage students.

Every interaction with teachers on the topic of integration of technology may call for a different hat to wear, but one thing is for sure that a Technology Integrator's hat rack will be filled to the brim.

References

An Introduction to Technology Integration. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction-video

Meltzer, S. T. (2012). Step-by-step professional development in technology. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.

Okojie, M., Olinzock, A., & Okojie-Boulder, T. (n.d.). JOTS v32n2 - The Pedagogy of Technology 

Integration. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/v32/v32n2/okojie.html

Module One Overview. (n.d) SNHU EDU 64. Retrieved from 

            https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-9585145-dt-content-rid-24306458_1/courses/EDU- 641NC-16TW2-MASTER/EDU-641-14TW4-MASTER/edu_641_module1_overview.pdf
. 

Technology Teacher 12/15/2015

• Rethinking the Technology Integration Challenge: Cases from Th ree Urban Elementary Schools

  -Th e task for schools became that of determining how technology and curriculumwould operate to strengthen student learning- Despite studies documenting the effectiveness of technology to supportstudent learning, barriers to technology integration have been identified. Forexample, the issue of preparedness of teachers to respond to the influx of technologyresources, and of schools to keep up with the mechanical functioningand maintenance of equipment, was one major barrier. Further, many teachershad not been prepared to utilize technology in their teacher preparation programs.- So although instructional technology has been a routine part of the educationallandscape for several decades, the integration of technology in classroomsstill lags behind expectations for its use (Cuban, 2001; Jones, 1998; Rogers,2000), and especially for traditionally underserved populations - Th e principal described technology as a tool to help teachers integrate the curriculum,which is foundational to the school's philosophy. She believed that itwas important that teachers have newer and better equipped computers; digitalcameras and iMovie were also now available for teachers to use as they choseinterdisciplinary projects for their students that incorporated some aspect oftechnology use.- Th e role of teachers was defi ned generally by the expectation the principal setthat each teacher would use technology to have students support their requiredinterdisciplinary projects. The specific relationship of technology to particularaspects of the curriculum, however, was not identified from the top down. Itwas up to the teachers themselves to figure out the most appropriate ways to integratetechnology. - movie of a fi eld trip.On a school-wide basis, students played a major role in technology use. Anactive Technology Club was formed that was empowered to document variousevents of importance to the school and the community. These activities included,for example, filming an urban technology exposition featuring work from allthree partner schools and filming a bird count at a local urban nature center. - At the start of the project, teachers reportedthat technology was viewed as an add-on. It was used to reward students, tokeep them busy, and to teach basic computing skills. As time passed and personneland hardware resources were committed, more teachers began integratingtechnology into their curriculum. Evidence can be seen in video productionscreated by upper grades students, the study of African-American poets bysecond graders with disabilities, lost pet books developed by fi rst graders, andresearch on Mother Jones conducted and disseminated by second graders. Technology-basedactivities supported content. Some teachers used technology tosupplant usual instruction, others used it to augment or follow up instruction.Technology shifted from being used three to four students at a time to beingused in whole group instruction as well as small group, paired, and independentuse. At this school, technology became a tool for collaborative learning, a toolmade increasingly available through lab and wireless resources.-e. Students used technology as a free choice item, to writefi nal composition drafts, and to learn basic skills. Teachers reported that theybelieved in the notion of technology integration but admittedly were not practicingit. Th e inconsistencies in availability, connectivity, and compatibility oftechnology throughout the school made it challenging to use technology acrossmultiple learning environments- Th e leadership function of principals, however, can only go so far. A secondscaff old we believe may hold importance across these case studies is teacher leadership.Th e principal at Rosa Parks talked eloquently about the role of teacherleadership in the future of the school. In the face of budget cuts, she chose todiscontinue a dedicated technology specialist. Instead, she discussed the importanceof hiring staff members who were technology savvy as a means to movingthe school ahead. - Preparing a school well for technology integration appears to represent aspecial instance of professional development, one that has a unique identityrequiring a unique kind of stewardship. - Traditionally, professional development encourages teachers to change theirpractice within a relatively familiar zone of operation.- Without a clear vision of the goal of technology as it relates directly to the curriculum,it is possible to get distracted along the way with the details of acquisition,with productivity goals, or with generalized uses of technology-but notuses that are specifi c to various aspects of the curriculum- However, technology integration is not simply a top-down aff air. When eithera principal or a technology leader in a school is more focused on technology acquisitionand less focused on alignment, it will be critical to have a teacher leaderwho can step up to address the curriculum question-

• JOTS v32n2 - The Pedagogy of Technology Integration

  • The problem of integrating technology into teaching and learning process has become a perennial one. Common excuses for the limited use of technology to support instruction include shortage of computers, lack of computer skill and computer intimidation
  • Technology used for teaching and learning should be considered an integral part of instruction and not as an object exclusive to itself.
  • The scope of technology integration is examined with a view of showing its relationship with pedagogy. It should be noted that technology, which is used to facilitate learning, is part of the instructional process and not an appendage to be attached at any convenient stage during the course of instruction.
  • Using technology to enhance the educational process involves more than just learning how to use specific piece of hardware and software. It requires an understanding of pedagogical principles that are specific to the use of technology in an instructional settings…Pedagogy-based training begins by helping teachers understand the role of learning theory in the design and function of class activities and in the selection and use of instructional technologies
  • Technology in education is commonly defined as a technical device or tool used to enhance instruction.
  • This definition does not take into consideration the pedagogical principles upon which the application of various technologies into educational inquiry are based. Such a definition is narrow because it isolates technology from pedagogical processes that it is intended to support.
  • teachers should develop strategies to motivate students to keep them focused as the instruction progresses and to consider that different students prefer different learning styles and that they learn at different rates.
  • teachers should be able to engage students in an exploratory learning experience which is designed to stimulate thinking
  • In a broad sense, technology integration can be described as a process of using existing tools, equipment and materials, including the use of electronic media, for the purpose of enhancing learning
  • “they did not resist technology per se but agreed that they could not fully integrate it into their own practices because of the organizational, administrative, pedagogical, or personal constraints”
  • Technology should not be treated as a separate entity but should be considered as an integral part of instructional delivery.
  • When you go to the hardware store to buy a drill, you don’t actually want a drill, you want a hole, they don’t sell holes at the hardware store, but they do sell drills, which are the technology used to make holes. We must not lose sight that technology for the most part is a tool and it should be used in applications which address educational concerns. (p. 87)
  • Therefore, technological application should be based on sound teaching and learning principles to avoid teaching hardware and software technologies in an isolated manner. Technologies used for instructional delivery should form part of the cohesive components of instruction; they should not be detachable objects.
  • student teachers (70%) maintain that it is a tool for instruction; they fail to relate it to pedagogy or identify how it will help them to improve their teaching or facilitate learning. An educator who does not understand the purpose of technology integration or how it could be applied is less likely to achieve success in a technology-based learning environment.
  • That thinking critically involves our recognizing the assumption underlying our beliefs and behaviors. It can give justifications for our ideas and actions. Most important, perhaps, it means we try to judge the rationality of these justifications.
  • “we know how to teach people to build ships but not how to figure out what ships to build”
  • students will progress toward becoming reflective practitioners who think and rethink their positions and assumptions
  • Technology should be implemented in the classroom only if its role in a given instruction is determined along with pedagogical issues related to a given instructional task.
  • argue that school administrators make decisions about technology training without consulting teachers who will integrate technology into instructional process. Teachers who are in a better position to articulate their needs and identify their weaknesses have minimal input in planning the technology training they receive. Thus, technology integration training becomes a general identification of various hardware and software technologies, which does not address specific learning problems nor pinpoint the way technology can be used to improve instruction
  • It is important that teachers recognize that a relationship exists between technology in education and pedagogical decision-making. According to Anderson and Borthwick (2002) research evidence shows that “participants whose technology instruction was integrated in their methods course reported more frequent use of technology for both teacher productivity and student projects during both on-campus courses and their first year of actual classroom teaching”
  • • Identifying learning objectives in a technology-based instruction requires teachers to select and/or adapt instructional technology to match the objectives based on the students’ needs.
     
    • Presenting instruction using technology as part of the instructional process requires teachers to choose the methods that are relevant to the objectives, the technology selected, learning styles, modes and pace of learning.
     
    • Evaluating technology-based instruction requires teachers to select appropriate evaluation techniques that are relevant to the objectives, methods of instruction, and to technologies that have been used.
     
    • Designing follow-up activities using technology requires teachers to select appropriate follow-up materials that are relevant to the objectives of the instruction and technologies that are accessible to the students as well as easy to use.
     
    • Developing course enrichment materials using technology requires teachers to provide opportunity for students to explore issues related to the course materials and to provide them with the opportunity to select and analyze course enrichment materials using technology in ways that broaden their problem-solving skills.
     
    • Locating sources for additional instructional materials using technology requires teachers to use the internet and multimedia networks to develop additional learning materials and expand instructional resources aimed at broadening the knowledge and the skill gained.
     
    • Designing a dynamic classroom using technology requires teachers to provide a learning environment that is colorful, engaging, exciting, interactive and energetic as a way of encouraging students to venture into the world of technology and to discover knowledge for themselves.
  • Educators are encouraged to view technology integration from a wider perspective and be reflective in their teaching as they use technology to support and facilitate instruction.

• An Introduction to Technology Integration | Edutopia

  • we're seeing now is that technology is being used to fundamentally transform what the classroom is. Fundamentally transform what you can do with a classroom.
  • I think to define technology integration, it's really using whatever resources you have to the best of your abilities. Technology, it's a tool. It's what you do with that tool, what you can make, what you allow the students to make.
  • For us to feel like we really are connecting with our kids, and to make learning fun for our kids and meaningful, we need to meet them where they are.
  • When you create, you take ownership of your learning. You understand it in a very different way than if you just memorize something from a textbook, or if you just read it over and over again, or watched it in someone else's film.
  • his internet thing that has become a big part of our lives. It's really enabled people around the world to connect in ways we never imagined.
  • People always say that the kids respond better when they're able to share their work. Well, of course! Because they have a valid audience. It doesn't go into a pile on the teacher's desk, and then get handed back to their folder. Kids today can create stuff and share it with the entire world. And they have that authentic audience. They have people that actually, not only will read it, but also care about it.
  • We have a set amount of time to learn something, and then there's an exam. You get a B; I get a C. Even though the exam identified that you have some basic weaknesses, I have even more weaknesses, we'll then move on to the next concept.
  • you have the potential to everyone learn at their own pace, and master concepts before they move on.
  • It's not about the mode of creation, it's not about the tool, it's about the learning, it's about the process, it's about the look on my students' faces, the fact that they can stay focused, motivated, engaged, and they're sharing ideas.

• Was "Old School" So Bad? Part 1 | Edutopia

  • "Maker classrooms are active classrooms. In active classrooms one will find engaged students, often working on multiple projects simultaneously, and teachers unafraid of relinquishing their authoritarian role. The best way to activate your classroom is for your classroom to make something."

• How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom | Edutopia

  • Students could conveniently take their music with them and also conveniently tune out any undesirable noise. Within this cocoon of music, students feel safe and protected.
  • students have to understand beforehand that using their phone has an educational purpose and what the consequences are for straying from that purpose
  • As long as a student is not causing problems, they can use their phones as much as they want outside of class, and each teacher has to determine how much phone use goes on in class. Cell phones in the classroom can be a significant discipline problem and classroom management struggle if clear and explicit guidelines are not established the first day

• The role of the Technology Integrator

  - Teachers often fall into a wide range of categories. There are teachers who fully embrace technology integration and work diligently to incorporate and integrate technology into each and every lesson, which ultimately engages the students. - The administration within schools and district levels is often a driving force for the integration of technology into the curriculum. Administrators, many of whom were once teachers themselves, may emphasize student engagement and the enhancement of student understanding through technology use. - groups may consist of parents who feel as though education should continue the way it was when they were in school.

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