Technology Teacher 02/25/2016

• Evolving Classroom Education: Where Is K-12 Technology Headed? - Education Futures: Emerging Trends in K-12 - Education Week

  • Evolving Classroom Education: Where Is K-12 Technology Headed?
  • New teachers may not understand the extent to which technology has changed the student experience but veteran educators know the significance. Even the most progressive technology will be considered outdated, or even obsolete, in just a few short years.

• Common Core

  • Common Core and the ISTE Standards recognize that education as it’s always been done is not enough in the digital age
  • we must embrace new pedagogies that make the most of our students’ innate drive to learn, create and collaborate.
  • ISTE Standards also share with the Common Core an emphasis on using technology — not for technology’s sake, but as a tool for leap-frogging over lower-order thinking skills, such as rote memorization, to focus our energies on research and media literacy, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking.

• Report: Effective Teacher Professional Development Crucial to Common Core -- THE Journal

  • Report: Effective Teacher Professional Development Crucial to Common Core
  • The success of the largest education reform effort of the last decade — Common Core State Standards — is contingent upon effective teacher professional development
  • "While professional development might not be the most controversial topic in education, its importance must not be minimized," said Jim Hull, NSBA senior policy analyst, who spoke with reporters at a press briefing today.
  • Also, for teachers, the "steepest learning curve" has to do with implementing new teaching technique, not learning about them.
  • In fact," the report said, "studies have shown that teacher mastery of a new skill takes, on average, 20 separate instances of practice and that number may increase if the skill is exceptionally complex."
  • • Professional development needs to be ongoing and carried out over time, rather than presented in one-day workshops;
     
    • Professional development should be delivered "in the context of the teacher's subject area"; and
     
    • Peer coaches and mentors "are found to be highly effective in helping teachers implement a new skill" and so should be employed when possible.
  • The report made no mention of the role technology can play in fostering effective professional deveopment or helping to scale existing PD resources, and Hull said the research just isn't there yet to determine conclusively how valuable technology can be.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Reflection

As I start my reflection on this class, I have to say it was a whirlwind because this was the first class I had to take during my busiest time of the year. I had to look  back at the different assignment to truly reflect on what I already knew and what I learned from the class. The first thing I learned that was new was how to use infogram when creating the infographic on generation technology use. I learned a lot from creating the infographic about how technology is used by the different generations while learning a new digital tool that I can teach my students. It was interesting to compare the lengths and response times of email users by age and gave me a better understanding of my students. E-mail is a constant in my life but not in the students I teach(How We Answer Emails varies by Age, 2015). The other Assignment I learned a lot from doing was the Teacher Training. This was a great way for me to have the opportunity to research why technology should be used in the classroom. I have been integrating technology in my classroom for years already and have even been recognized for it. This presentation gave me a new opportunity to look up information that will help support why I need the technology in my classroom. I have always believed that technologies in the classroom are effective but it was reassuring to know that “ research shows that technology use by students in the classroom is not only engaging but increases student learning.(Saxena, 2013). I also plan to use this presentation as part of a presentation at a conference. Unfortunately, I did not learn much from the class in ways of new technology tools. Many of the resources in the class were outdated in the modules and the digital resources had been around for awhile. One of the resources even suggests to start the professional development for teachers with Microsoft 2000. This is a technology tool that is now over 16 years old!!! The textbook was also a little outdated with most of the sample templates were written in instead of typed of using a digital resources to make the implementation easier. I do wonder if much of the critical task will be application to the technology integrator field when I look for that position.

This class did focus of professional development and it did so for good reason. Professional development for teachers is the number one reason for successful implementation of technology. I also know from experience that professional development can also be one of the misuse of a teacher time if not done properly. It is also important to offer up-to-date professional development because even the “most progressive technology will be considered outdated, or even obsolete, in just a few short years(Lynch, 2013). Professional development should have some focus on technology hardware but most of the focus should be on the pedagogy. Teachers should be given development on ISTE Standards and Common Core because they have an  “emphasis on using technology — not for technology’s sake, but as a tool for leap-frogging over lower-order thinking skills, such as rote memorization, to focus our energies on research and media literacy, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking("ISTE Standards and the Common Core," n.d.).” It is also important that the professional development workshops “be ongoing and carried out over time, rather than presented in one-day workshops” and have the “context of the teacher's subject area” in mind when developing the workshops curriculum (Nagel, 2013). It is also important to assess the needs of the teachers because the designing of the curriculum so that teachers needs are being met. These surveys also might allow for the identification of peer mentors or coaches in your district who "are found to be highly effective in helping teachers implement a new skill (Nagel, 2013)." Professional development is crucial to the success of a school and their implementation of technology in the classroom.

References:

How we answer emails varies by age. (2015, April 14). Retrieved from http://www.medialifemagazine.com/how-we-answer-emails-varies-by-age/

Saxena, S. (2013, October 8). Using Technology in Education: Does It Improve Anything? Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/news/681-technology-in-education

Lynch, Matthew. "Evolving Classroom Education: Where Is K-12 Technology Headed?" Education Week. N.p., 2 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2013/10/evolving_classroom_education_where_is_k-12_technology_headed.html>.

Nagel, D. (2013, October 9). THE News Update. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2013/09/10/report-effective-teacher-professional-development-crucial-to-common-core.aspx

Technology Teacher 02/16/2016

• NETS -T Standards

  • Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
  • collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 02/09/2016

• Virtual Education: Genuine Benefits or Real-Time Demerits? - The Atlantic

  • Virtual Education: Genuine Benefits or Real-Time Demerits?
  • Twenty-six states operate publicly funded online schools, many of which don't have safeguards that prevent kids from cheating.
  • Ahmed had multiple courses on her transcript from Florida Virtual School—including physical education—and under the city’s district policy, any credits obtained online weren’t eligible for transfer.
  • "Digital Learning Report Card" briefing early last year—allow Florida students to take two online courses concurrently per semester. And when students pass the courses with a C or higher, they can take more virtual classes
  • Its policy governing transfer credits doesn’t mention virtual schools, many of which are not accredited in the same manner that traditional public and private institutions are
  • Proponents, including Bush and his team, argue that conventional learning is holding students back and that virtual education, both in and out of K-12 classrooms, is allowing them to advance at their own rate.
  • In fact, due to the way many virtual courses are structured, without cameras or the eyes of authority figures constantly tracking them, the temptation to cheat is almost irresistible.
  • That’s because, thanks to the aforementioned state legislation, they can take multiple online courses per semester. And they often learn nothing unless the course is so outdated they can’t find the test answers online.
  • Some of these virtual offerings are better than others, using integrated media, with videos and pop-up screens interspersed with reading materials, tests, and project instructions.
  • The best use blended-learning techniques, where groups of students actually Skype with a live teacher and participate in group chats.
  • Thirty percent of those schools didn’t receive any ratings on their performances, and of the 231 that did receive ratings, only a third had "academically acceptable" findings.
  • Altogether, these schools enroll as many as 275,000 students annually. But enrollment numbers are ever-changing because many of their customers are part-timers. These students may enroll and drop, enroll and fail, or enroll and pass several courses within the same semester; the data doesn’t reflect those adjustments.
  • institutions were launched to assist students who fail, for a variety of reasons, in traditional schools.
  • at our school there is much less pressure and stress around doing the work. So many of the obstacles that make a student shut down are removed … Students can just do the work in a way that works for them in whatever time they need to do it."
  • Everything is at their fingertips. Students [who] may not be comfortable in a classroom to engage with the teacher may feel comfortable being more outgoing and participating at a higher level."
  • e those that simply provide reading materials online, test the students on that content, and ask them to complete projects
  • far too easy to find the answers to their tests and homework assignments by accessing Google on other devices.
  • I know of one particular student who actually runs a business taking virtual classes for others.
  • What’s your favorite book? Where were you born? What was the name of your first pet? These questions may flash arbitrarily throughout the course, requiring a student to instantly answer or face a penalty. A teacher might randomly call a student who fails a test, too.
  • Most part-time virtual-school teachers hardly ever recognize their students’ voices and don’t realize that the kid answering an on-the-spot civics question isn’t the same one who failed the test online two minutes ago.
  • That system just sets itself up to fail. I can't even remember my [Florida Virtual School] teachers' names, let alone any info."
  • And it appears that part-time virtual-school students don’t understand that they have become a commodity. They probably don’t know that it’s their public-school budgets, either directly or indirectly, that pay for the classes—which could mean no new football uniforms (or chemistry textbooks) that year
  • Very few of them are actually capable of learning new and often complicated material—say, calculus—online, by themselves, via a computer. Nor do they want to. It doesn’t impact them unless, like Ahmed, they become victims of the system and another school district rejects their online credits.
  • his can also be completed online, where questions may range from "How many points is a basketball goal?" to "What is a standard heart rate after [a certain amount] of [insert activity]?"
  • Parents are supposed to witness and sign off on required physical activities, but as my former student Sarah Lennon Alfonso noted, "Virtual school is not the way to learn subjects such as P.E. One student will pretend to be another student’s mom to attest to the fact she supposedly did 50 jumping jacks, let's say.
  • "Our students just assume that they will be able to utilize technology to enhance their education … not tech for tech’s sake," he added.
  • While Michigan was the first state to require students to take an online course for graduation, it revised its guidelines last year after investing significant funding in assessing the program’s lukewarm results.
  • the Florida Virtual School has installed data-collection software to determine how long students are spending on each segment and test question.
  • The truth is, any insight gathered from these findings will be flawed until policymakers figure out a way to take human nature out of the virtual environment.
  • "Online [courses] can be a great thing, but it's probably a waste of money to force it on students who just aren't going to do it," she said. "An army of hecklers can't force teenagers to do something they've made up their mind not to do."

• Can Students Learn Virtually? An Evaluation of the Florida Virtual School | Brookings Institution

  • Can Students Learn Virtually? An Evaluation of the Florida Virtual School
  • The FLVS was created in 1997 and is the nation’s first state-wide Internet-based public high school.
  • 97 percent of students are part time at the FLVS and also take classes at another school.
  • Free and Easy Course Access- One of the main merits of a virtual school is removing barriers for students to take classes. The FLVS is a huge success in this sense because it makes Advanced Placement courses available to all Florida students.
  • Lower Costs- Per-pupil funding was about 10 percent lower for the FLVS
  • Some had worried that virtual schools would encourage absenteeism. However, students who attended the FLVS part-time were not more likely to miss school.
  • However, after introducing a series of controls for past test score performance they found little or no significant differences between traditional school and the FLVS
  • The study provides the first evidence suggesting that virtual schools are not significantly worse than traditional public schools.

• Rise in Online Classes Flares Debate About Quality - The New York Times

  • More Pupils Are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality
  • By TRIP GABRIELAPRIL 5, 2011
  • Mr. Hamilton, who had failed English 3 in a conventional classroom and was hoping to earn credit online to graduate, was asked a question about the meaning of social Darwinism. He pasted the question into Google and read a summary of a Wikipedia entry. He copied the language, spell-checked it and e-mailed it to his teacher.
  • Advocates of such courses say they allow schools to offer not only makeup courses, the fastest-growing area, but also a richer menu of electives and Advanced Placement classes when there are not enough students to fill a classroom.
  • But critics say online education is really driven by a desire to spend less on teachers and buildings, especially as state and local budget crises force deep cuts to education.
  • there is no sound research showing that online courses at the K-12 level are comparable to face-to-face learning.
  • “It’s a cheap education, not because it benefits the students,” said Karen Aronowitz, president of the teachers’ union in Miami, where 7,000 high school students were assigned to study online in computer labs this year because there were not enough teachers to comply with state class-size caps.
  • “This is being proposed for even your youngest students,” Ms. Aronowitz said. “Because it’s good for the kids? No. This is all about cheap.”
  • state superintendent of education plans to push a requirement that high school students take four or more online courses, following a bill that passed the Legislature last week to provide every student with a laptop, paid for from a state fund for educators’ salaries.
  • said he could not justify continuing to pay a Chinese-language teacher for only 10 interested students. But he was able to offer Chinese online through the Virtual High School Global Consortium, a nonprofit school based in Massachusetts.
  • The virtual high school says its list of client schools has grown to 770, up 34 percent in two years, because of local budget cuts.
  • Nationwide, an estimated 1.03 million students at the K-12 level took an online course in 2007-8, up 47 percent from two years earlier, according to the Sloan Consortium, an advocacy group for online education.
  • It found benefits in online courses for college students, but it concluded that few rigorous studies had been done at the K-12 level, and policy makers “lack scientific evidence of the effectiveness” of online classes.
  • Advocates say the courses let students who were bored or left behind learn at their own pace.
  • proponents of online classes are dubious about makeup courses, also known as credit recovery — or, derisively, click-click credits — which high schools, especially those in high-poverty districts, use to increase graduation rates and avoid federal sanctions.
  • If credit recovery were working, she said, the need for remedial classes in college would be declining — but the opposite is true.
  • Melony Smith, his online teacher, said she had not immediately recognized that his answer on the Jack London assignment was copied from the Web, but she said plagiarism was a problem for many students.
  • Memphis supplies its own teachers, mostly classroom teachers who supplement their incomes by contracting to work 10 hours a week with 150 students online. That is one-fourth of the time they would devote to teaching the same students face to face.
  • “What they want is to substitute technology for teachers,” said Alex Molnar, professor of education policy at Arizona State University.
  • Online courses are part of a package of sweeping changes, including merit pay and ending tenure, which Idaho lawmakers approved, that Mr. Luna said would improve education.
  • “We can educate more students at a higher level with limited resources, and online technology and courses play a big part in that,” he said.
  • “It’s about getting a piece of the money that goes to public schools,” Ms. Wood said. “The big corporations want to make money off the backs of our children.”

• Virtual Schools vs. Budget Cuts » Virtual High Schools, Ellie Soskin

  • Not only do they force schools to cut back on available courses, but also on the number of available teachers, which swells class sizes and reduces the overall quality of learning for each individual student as the student-teacher ration becomes wildly unbalanced
  • Granted, in most public online high schools (i.e. state-run), the district is still providing a computer, curriculum, and a teacher, as well as other supplementary aspects, but the cost saved overall is still fairly significant.
  • The Postsecondary Education Alliance (PSEA) has already recognized the effects of large class sizes on the widening achievement gap in America.
  • budget cuts have forced larger class sizes and have caused major issues when new students enroll in already maxed-out classrooms, virtual schools can handle the issue by using money saved by the district to hire more teachers, as well as avoiding crowded, noisy classrooms and other perils of oversized classes (Colvin).
  • In an age where budget constraints are hurting our education system, virtual high schools could be the answer.

• Schools of the Future » Virtual High Schools, Ellie Soskin

  • Schools of the Future
  • Along with the growing popularity of learning online comes the concept of completely virtualizing learning; taking the traditional “one teacher, class full of students” high school experience and overhauling it by making it an online, fully interactive virtual educational experience.
  • But with “near-universal access to broadband,” it has become an increasingly viable, and increasingly appealing, option (McLaughlin).
  • Online high schools have grown rapidly since they first began in 1996, and since the beginning of the millennium have grown rapidly from initial numbers of around 1,000 students, a growth which mirrors technological development and advancement in the educational sector (McLaughlin).

  • As of 2012, nearly 300,000 students were participating in full-time online education (Pandolfo).

     
  • In 2011, it was reported that 48 states had a form of virtual schooling, with 29 of those states offering full-time online education as an alternative to the traditional high school format; the numbers grew again in 2012, with 30 states offering full-time online learning options.
  • As technology continues to develop, more tools for online collaborative education will become available, just as software such as Skype and other video communication software has made it possible for students learning at home to receive careful and individualized instruction from the teachers in online high schools.

• Virtual High School - YouTube

  - no discipline problems online - fully online high school - need social and personal relationships in the classroom - student said less distraction.

• Virtual Learning Benefits | Alamogordo Virtual Academy | Alamogordo Public Schools - YouTube

  - By 2019, it's estimated that more than half of all courses in grades 9-12 will be taken online - Over 86% of teens and 80% of parents believe that the Internet helps teenagers to do better in school - A recent study found that students who took all or part of their classes online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction - 23 million students not graduating -

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 02/08/2016

• Library Operating Expenditures: A Selected Annotated Bibliography | Professional Tools

  • Just over half of academic libraries, 2,023, had total expenditures of less than $500,000 in fiscal year 2012, while 1,104 academic libraries had total expenditures of $1,000,000 or higher (derived from table 7).
  • - During fiscal year 2012, academic libraries spent about $3.4 billion on salaries and wages, representing 49 percent of total library expenditures (table 8).
  • Academic libraries spent a total of approximately $2.8 billion on information resources (table 9). Of that, expenditures for electronic current serial subscriptions totaled about $1.4 billion.
  • uring fiscal year 2012, academic libraries spent approximately $123.6 million for bibliographic utilities, networks, and consortia (table 10).
  • During the 2010–11 school year, public school library media centers spent an average of $9,340 for all information resources [Information resources include such items as books, periodicals, audio/visual materials, database licensing, and software. They do not include salaries, computer hardware, or audio/visual equipment.] (table 4). This includes an average of $6,010 for the purchase of books and $490 for the purchase of audio/video materials [Includes all copies of any tape, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray].
  • The number of holdings in public library media centers per 100 students was 2,188 for book titles and 81 for audio/video materials at the end of the 2010–11 school year (table 5).
  • During the 2006-07 school year, BIE-funded library media centers spent an average of $7,800 on books... (table 4). BIE-funded library media centers spent an average of $760 on audio/video materials...
  • "School librarians work with media budgets that average $6,970 a year—or a spending allowance of about $10.64 per student annually, according to the survey. Elementary schools budgets are lower, with just $8.86 to spend on each student, with middle schools slightly higher, spending $9.55 on overall materials per student. High school budgets, however, are significantly better padded, at $13.47 per student."

• Doug Johnson Website - dougwri - Changed but still critical: Bricks and mortar libraries in the digital age

  • Changed but still critical: Bricks and mortar libraries in the digital age
  • The “Net Generation” student increasingly prefers the visual and the virtual rather than the printed text.
  • I would argue that the best school libraries are not just surviving, but thriving, in this new digital information environment – but not without seriously re-purposing their physical spaces.
  • Social learning spaces
  • Online bookstores did not kill the physical bookstore. But like bookstores, libraries are becoming “high touch” environments in a high tech world.
  • High school libraries are following the example of bookstores, public and college libraries and adding coffee shops.
  • increased body of evidence that supports the value of student collaboration. Studies demonstrate that  the ability to form “learning groups” in which participants collaboratively construct personal meaning for content studied is the most important factor in college students being successful
  • school libraries also fit the description of a “third place”- an area for informal social gathering outside of home (the first place) and work (the second place)
  • The character of a third place is determined most of all by its regular clientele and is marked by a playful mood, which contrasts with people’s more serious involvement in other spheres.
  • remarkably similar to a good home in the psychological comfort and support that it extends
  • Allowing gaming, research on topics of personal interest, and a more liberal definition of what constitutes “constructive activities,” the library space may be the only place some students feel “at home.”

  • he school library as “learning commons” can be defined as:

     

    …the place, either physical or virtual, that is the hub of the school where exemplary teaching and learning are show cased; where all professional development, teaching and learning experimentation and action research happens; and where various specialists of the school have offices, physical or virtual.

  • space that has tutoring, vocational education, gifted and talented services, and a raft of educational support services including library services provides greater better service to students.
  • Multi-media production and presentation spaces
  • we need to stop thinking of the library as a grocery store - a place to “get stuff”
  • - and start thinking of it as a kitchen - a place to “make stuff.”
  • As digital access moves from workstation to mobile devices, the physical library needs to provide a robust wireless network infrastructure.
  • Workspaces on which laptops can be placed a good ergonomic height are needed.
  • Workstations with good processing speed, adequate memory and software for video and still photo editing, music production, voice recordings, computer programming and multimedia composition are still important.
  • Student demonstrations and presentations that take advantage of multimedia enhancements such as video, computerized slideshows and sound need good audio amplification, video projection systems, interactive whiteboards and student response systems.
  • While not glamorous, the library is often the best choice to serve as the technology hub of the school.
  • Teaching spaces
  • The teaching role as opposed to the “providing” role of librarians has grown. But students and teachers need guidance and instruction more than ever. Teaching spaces remain vital.
  • Large group instruction is still a useful means of imparting information, giving instructions, and holding discussions.
  • Seminar and small group spaces are popular in all libraries.
  • What about books?
  • If U.S. intellectual property laws don’t change and ownership of the 70% of books that are not in print but not in the public domain remains in question, a lot of information will remain accessible only in print form
  • conversion speed is not a technical issue, but a legal, moral and social one.
  • Print, audio and digital will continue to co-exist quite nicely much as radio, television and the Internet does now.
  • Conclusion:
  • Look at places where kids DO want to be and see what might be learned from those spaces.
  • The coffee shop should guide us tell us kids want a social learning space. Online preferences suggest we need to give kids a lot of access to digital resources.
  • And finally, the popularity of social networking sites and media sharing sites like YouTube, demands that we make libraries knowledge production areas.
  • A good library is a physical indicator that a school embraces certain values regarding education - that multiple points of view have value; that teaching kids how to think, not just memorize, is critical; and that self-exploration should be encouraged.

• How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities | Pew Internet Libraries

  • How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities
  • By Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie, Kristen Purcell and Maeve Duggan
  • Most Americans say they have only had positive experiences at public libraries, and value a range of library resources and services.
  • The importance of public libraries to their communities
  • Some 90% of Americans ages 16 and older said that the closing of their local public library would have an impact on their community, with 63% saying it would have a “major” impact.
  • Just 34% of Americans ages 16 and older of say that public libraries have not done a good job keeping up with new technologies, while 55% disagree.
  • 52% of Americans say that people do not need public libraries as much as they used to because they can find most information on their own, while 46% disagreed.
  • Though many library services are seen as important, there are varying levels of enthusiasm for different services
  • Women, African-Americans and Hispanics, adults who live in lower-income households, and adults with lower levels of educational attainment are more likely than other groups to declare all the library services we asked about “very important.” 
  • Libraries are also particularly valued by those who are unemployed, retired, or searching for a job, as well as those living with a disability and internet users who lack home internet access:
  • 6% of internet users without home access say public libraries’ basic technological resources (such as computers, internet, and printers) are “very important” to them and their family, compared with 33% of all respondents.
  • 49% of unemployed and retired respondents say they librarian assistance in finding information to be “very important,” compared with 41% of employed respondents.
  • 47% of job seekers say help finding or applying for a job is “very important” to them and their families.
  • 40% of those living with a disability say help applying for government services is “very important,” compared with 27% of those without a disability.
  • Most Americans know where their local library is, but many are unfamiliar with all the services they offer.
  • • 91% of Americans say they know where the closest public library is to where they currently live; among these respondents, most said the closest public library is five miles or less away from their home.
     
    • 93% of Americans say that it would be easy to visit a public library in person if they wanted to, with 62% saying it would be “very easy.”
     
    • Similarly, 82% of Americans overall say it would be easy to use their local public library’s website, with 47% saying it would be “very easy.”
     
    • 91% of Americans who have ever used a public library say it is not difficult to find what they’re looking for, including 35% who say it is “very easy.”
  • there are large numbers of Americans who say they are not sure about all the services libraries offer. Echoing the findings of our 2012 survey, 23% of those who have ever used a public library said they feel like they know all or most of the service and programs their library offers
  • 54% of Americans have used a public library in the past 12 months, and 72% live in a “library household”
  • 81% of Americans ages 16 and older have visited a public library or bookmobile at one point or another in their lives; 48% of Americans have done so in the past 12 months, down from 53% in 2012.
  • 44% of those ages 16 and older have visited a public library website; 30% of Americans have done so in the past 12 months, up from 25% in 2012.
  • Most Americans who have ever used a public library have had positive experiences
  • 94% said that based on their own experiences, they would say that “public libraries are welcoming, friendly place.”
  • 91% said that they personally have never had a negative experience using a public library, either in person or online.
  • 67% said that the public library nearest to where they live could be described as a “nice, pleasant space to be”; another 22% say it’s an “okay space, but could use some improvements.”

• America is in love with its libraries: Pew report / Boing Boing

  • America is in love with its libraries: Pew report
  • The mission of libraries is to help the public navigate information and become informed -- a mission that is more important than ever.
  • 95% of Americans ages 16 and older agree that the materials and resources available at public libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed;
  • 95% say that public libraries are important because they promote literacy and a love of reading;
  • 94% say that having a public library improves the quality of life in a community;
  • 81% say that public libraries provide many services people would have a hard time finding elsewhere.

• Do School Libraries Need Books? - The New York Times

  • Do School Libraries Need Books?
  • Books in All Formats
  • James Tracy
  • Rather, it reflected the way students learn and conduct research today, as well as our belief that traditional libraries must be reimagined to remain vital.
  • A small collection of printed books no longer supports the type of research required by a 21st century curriculum.
  • create a library that reflected the reality of how students do research and fostered what they do, one that went beyond stacks and stacks of underutilized books.
  • his was an investment of expanded resources to provide a new model of a learning commons at the center of an educational community.
  • library is now the most-used space on campus, with collaborative learning areas, classrooms with smart boards, study sections, screens for data feeds from research sites, a cyber cafe, and increased reference and circulation stations for our librarians.
  • need more help from librarians to navigate these resources, so we have also increased our library staff by 25 percent.
  • students are checking out more books than before, making extensive use of e-readers in our library collection.
  • Proximate Knowledge, Online and in Print
  • Matthew G. Kirschenbaum
  • Not everything is digitized yet, nor soon will be. A screen is less conducive to deep concentration than the stillness of the page.
  • We need them for the same reason we need models of atoms and airplanes. They are hands-on.
  • the maddening frustration of the book that is lost or checked out just when you need it most can instill an important lesson: knowledge is proximate.
  • digital world, that proximity is less about geographical locale than about licensing, digital rights management, and affordability; but all the more reason for students (and teachers) to know that not everything is always within reach of a mouse.
  • 21st Century Librarians
  • Liz Gray
  • Just because there’s a lot of information online does not mean that students know how to find it, nor is the freely available information always the best information or the right information
  • librarian is to teach information literacy skills — defining research questions, selecting and evaluating sources, avoiding plagiarism, documenting sources — and in my experience this works best face to face with students.
  • That personal interaction is supported by the electronic availability of materials but is not replaced by it.
  • school librarian is to encourage reading, which all the research shows is crucial to student success
  • Focused, engaged reading occurs with printed books, and far less with online material.
  • a printed book is a relatively inexpensive information delivery system that is not dependent on equipment, power or bandwidth for its use.
  • The digital natives in our schools need to have the experience of getting lost in a physical book, not only for the pure pleasure but also as a way to develop their attention spans, ability to concentrate, and the skill of engaging with a complex issue or idea for an uninterrupted period of time.
  • The two Kindles that I purchased for my library are popular, but they have not taken the place of books, just as audio books are not everyone’s cup of tea.
  • Cushing Academy’s decision to dispose of most of its library books unnecessarily deprives that community of an irreplaceable resource.
  • We don’t have to choose between technology and printed books, and we shouldn’t.
  • The Medium Matters
  • Nicholas Carr
  • The printed word long ago lost its position of eminence in the American library
  • see more people staring into Internet terminals than flipping through the pages of books.
  • see books — expensive, cumbersome, distressingly low-tech — as dispensable. Once an oxymoron, the “bookless library” is becoming a reality.
  • But if we care about the depth of our intellectual and cultural lives, we’ll see that emptying our libraries of books is not an example of progress. It’s an example of regress.
  • The pages of a book shield us from the distractions that bombard us during most of our waking hours
  • informational medium, the book focuses our attention, encouraging the kind of immersion in a story or an argument that promotes deep comprehension and deep learning.
  • screen of a multifunctional computing device, whether it’s a PC, a Smartphone, a Kindle, or an iPad, we sacrifice that singlemindedness.
  • The result, a raft of psychological and neurological studies show, is cursory reading, weak comprehension and shallow learning.
  • When we tell ourselves that reading is the same whether done from a screen or a book, we’re kidding ourselves — and cheating our kids.
  • A Place to Learn
  • William Powers
  • Digital devices are transforming how we live in all kinds of thrilling ways, and we’ve only begun to explore their potential.
  • embracing these new tools doesn’t require us to simultaneously throw out all the old ones, particularly those that continue to serve useful purposes.
  • the belief that new technologies automatically render existing ones obsolete, as the automobile did with the buggy whip. However, this isn’t always the case.
  • Old technologies often handily survive the introduction of new ones, and sometimes become useful in entirely new ways.
  • For instance, a physical book works with the body and mind in ways that more readily produce the deep-dive experience that is reading at its best.
  • your mind spends a lot of energy just navigating, keeping track of where you are on the page and in the text.
  • They’re a space apart, a private place away from the inbox where we can go to quiet our minds and reflect

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 02/02/2016

• The Great K – 12 Debate: Engaging Students with 1:1 and BYOD Initiatives - Insight ON

  • The Great K – 12 Debate: Engaging Students with 1:1 and BYOD Initiatives
  • “1:1 and BYOD are game changers, giving students access to digital tools throughout the day, across all subject areas. This paradigm shift challenges teachers to rethink and redesign learning activities to capitalize on their school’s investment in technology,
  • 71% of districts surveyed reported that at least a quarter of their schools had adopted mobile technology in 2014, up from 60% in 2013.
  • 82% of districts were highly interested in implementing or expanding a district-wide 1:1 mobile device solution within the next two years, if budgets allow.
  • 20% reported that classrooms have a 1:1 ratio of mobile devices to students, up from 12% in 2013.
  • ountry that consider their 1:1 initiatives successfully report similar results: increased student achievement, more engaged learners, enhanced technology skills, better understanding of digital citizenship, and overall boost to college and career readiness.
  • critics blame ballooning maintenance costs, budget cuts, security lapses, insufficient bandwidth, incomplete training and parent concerns about overuse of devices at home.
  • an initiative to bring technology into classrooms — transitioning to a 1:1 program could cost a school as much as $600 per student per year. That figure included hardware, software, professional development, training and support.
  • This $600 cost compared with $300 per student per year for a 3:1 set up in a traditional classroom.
  • A school’s wireless network is on the front lines of any educational technology initiative, according to Insight’s white paper “Fine Tuning Critical Infrastructures in the Age of Common Core and Online Assessments.”
  • Research shows that 75% of U.S. schools do not have the appropriate network bandwidth to support 1:1 computing initiatives.”
  • “Many school districts have upgraded these key infrastructures, but they may need modifications to guarantee the most efficient and reliable operations. Others may be maintaining antiquated environments.”
  • Some 46% of district technology leaders cited digital equity as the most challenging issue they face, up from just 19% in a survey conducted in 2010.
  • 11,000 Dell Chromebooks with the aim of crafting individualized curriculum through computer-based instruction, while also providing mobility for collaborative projects. The Chromebooks are used on an almost daily basis.
  • “The 1:1 program is not about the device, it’s about learning,”
  • “Our students have engaging, empowering learning experiences both in and out of school that prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable and ethical participants in our globally networked society.’’
  • “Is BYOD the latest in shiny new ed tech things to lose luster? Have affordable prices of devices like Chromebooks made BYOD a less appealing solution? Or will more districts become interested as more BYOD initiatives are successfully implemented?”
  • “It’s become harder to focus seeing as there are so many things on the Internet and on our devices to distract us, and it’s been hard to steer away from a good news article or game and pay attention to the teacher,”
  • A stunning billion dollar 1:1 failure hit the Los Angeles United School District when it distributed iPads to students, teachers and administrators, and later discovered that hundreds of students hacked the security system and browsed blocked sites. The district’s superintendent recently revealed that the district doesn’t have the funds to sustain the technology and is struggling to cover the costs of online curriculum and maintenance for devices already purchased.
  • As 1:1 initiatives across the country evolve, educators will continue to face several issues,
  • offered these top challenges for schools:
  • • 70% were lacking in professional development and support for teachers.
     
    • 60% had difficulty managing a large fleet of devices.
     
    • 55% struggled with bandwidth, Wi-Fi connectivity and/or technology infrastructure.
     
    • 45% were concerned with device breakage, damage and repair.

• Carts, 1:1 and BYOD: The Journey Towards Personal Student Devices | EdSurge News

  • Carts, 1:1 and BYOD: The Journey Towards Personal Student Devices
  • earning “at any pace, in any place, at any time” will require every student to have access to her own device 24/7.
  • From a district’s perspective, BYOD is the ideal: it costs less and students become the experts of their own devices, allowing teachers to focus on instruction
  • But we have to deal with the inequities.”
  • The solution in Napa Valley: BYOD + 1:1
  • The BYOD program is supplemented with loaners.
  • Students can use non-web based software using classroom or lab computers, but everything is quickly moving to the cloud.
  • Problems with laptop carts
  • pple has provided no simple stepping stone towards 1:1,
  • He has found that the Apple management tools have been designed for individual, rather than shared, use of each device and has had to adopt workarounds to give students access to the apps they need.
  • Devices alone don’t change instruction
  • ollout of 8600 Chromebooks during this past school year.
  • contrary to the popular vision of a student carrying her device everywhere she goes, these devices will stay in the classroom for now.
  • Think big (but don’t go too fast)
  • Last year, the district equipped 34 carts with iPads, and distributed them to 34 middle school math and science teachers who had shown enthusiasm for using technology to extend the classroom.
  • CTO Matt Kinsey noted that these 34 early adopters were given substantial technical and professional development support.
  • Next year, the district plans to roll out carts to all elementary and middle school classrooms but still has not decided if or when students can take the devices home.
  • Key success factors: flexibility and people
  • Perhaps this is just stating the obvious. But the adage that people, not technology, is the key to successful change management is sometimes forgotten when the change is technology--especially something as tangible and exciting as a device in the hands of every student.

• 1:1 vs. BYOD in Education: Which is Better?

  • 1:1 vs. BYOD in Education: Which is Better?
  • The education model must change to continue to be effective and reach this tech-savvy generation
  • Their dire love and infatuation with technology will only intensify over time, so if your school hasn’t considered a byod solution to bringing mobile technology in the classroom, you better get started.
  • With 1:1, essentially the school provides all users with the same device for use on the school wireless network.
  • 1. Cost
  • Both solutions will likely require wireless network infrastructure upgrades to a more robust school wireless network that can support all these devices
  • real price difference comes in with these two solutions is with the devices.
  • With 1:1 of course it will be much more costly to the school, because the school has to purchase a device and accessories like protective covers for every user.
  • The cost savings of implementing BYOD make this strategy very popular.
  • 2. Ease of Use
  • With BYOD, users are already used to the devices and are comfortable with how they work, so little to no training is needed for most.
  • many find it easier to integrate and use technology in the classroom when everyone is working with the same device.
  • 3. Equality
  • 1:1 brings uniform integration of technology in every class which eliminates digital inequality.
  • With BYOD, technology may become a status symbol for students causing the divide between the haves and have not’s to be even greater
  • one simple solution for student that don’t have acceptable devices is starting a device loaner program for them. It’s still cheaper than supplying a device for every student.
  • 4. Maintenance
  • With 1:1 there are long-term maintenance costs for the school including upgrades and eventually completely replacing all the devices for newer ones,
  • BYOD the students would be responsible for their own maintenance on their mobile devices and well as upgrades and replacing them themselves. So, I’m calling this one a win for BYOD.
  • 5. Apps
  • Applications may not be universal across all platforms causing possible issues for BYOD users.
  • teachers know whatever apps they use on their device will work on their student’s devices.
  • implement a combination of the two solutions, providing some grade levels with devices and allowing others to BYOD
  • It’s important to keep education relevant and effective and in today’s tech-reliant society the way to do so is integrate wireless technology in the classroom.
  • a good wireless network infrastructure.

• 20 Pros and Cons of implementing BYOD in schools

  • Pros of BYOD
  • 1.) Students are already familiar and comfortable using their own technology so they can focus on actually learning with them than learning how to use the device
  • 3.) Students are more likely to have remembered their beloved mobile devices than textbooks or notes.
  • 4.) It’s a cost-effective way to save schools money on technology
  • 6.) When students use their own devices, they take care of their own ‘training.’
  • 13.) If students bring their own devices to school, schools can concentrate funding on the students who need it, maybe providing an iPad leasing program
  • 18.) The majority of students and adults already own the devices necessary for BYOD.
  • 19.) Students can use the device they have chosen to complete their tasks so they are more likely to do them
  • Cons of BYOD
  • 1.) All these mobile devices can overload your wireless network.
  • 3.) Technology may become a status symbol for students causing the divide between the haves and have not’s to be even greater
  • 4.) Parents may not be happy with the idea of paying for mobile devices for use in school.
  • 5.) Students may be more easily distracted while working on their own mobile devices.
  • .) Students might forget to charge their devices.
  • 7.) Students bringing in their own devices to school may increase the possibility of theft.
  • 10.) It can be more challenging for an IT department to manage the bandwidth required to ensure all devices are connected and running smoothly.
  • 12.) Applications may not be universal across all platforms
  • 15.) Some teacher may resist teaching with technology

• CYBERBULLYING AND OTHER STUDENT TECHNOLOGY MISUSES IN K-12 AMERICAN SCHOOLS: THE LEGAL LANDMINES

  - Use of computers in U.S. schools begins early, with “67 percent of children in nursery school” using computers and eighty percent of kindergarten students using them, with almost half of these young users accessing the Internet. -Nearly half of all American preteens have cell phones,4 and schools have been stymied in their efforts to curtail students’ cell phone possession and use in schools - Significant numbers of teenagers have personal cell phones with picture, music, and mobile computing capability - Text messaging between and among students is rampant, occurring even during classroom instruction - Twenty-eight percent of online teens have blogs, with blogs replacing instant messaging as communication tools among a subset of teens known as “super communicators - There are reports that several victims of cyberbullying have committed suicide as a result of unremitting cruelty perpetuated online - Female students, once lagging in technology savvy behind their male counterparts, have become among the most vicious perpetrators of technological bullying and harassment - Despite ambiguity in the Morse ruling about the continued viability of the so-called “Tinker standard” requiring actual or reasonably foreseeable “material and substantial” disruption of school operations before schools may discipline students for inappropriate speech or expression,26 subsequent lower court decisions have generally agreed that Tinker remains good law - the uncertain and often contradictory legal definitions of the elements constituting a “true threat” are also problematic in the context of courts’ analysis of potential cyberthreats - courts ruled in favor of most students against teachers and administrators in defamation suits when it came to online myspace profiles. - The student was angry because the school administration postponed an annual battle-ofthe-bands concert previously scheduled for the school auditorium, and she posted to the blog, calling central office administrators “douchebags,”56 and encouraged students to communicate with the principal in order “to piss her off more.”57 As in Wisniewski, the appellate court found that the Tinker standard was satisfied because of the reasonable foreseeability that the student’s message would reach the school and create a risk of substantial disruption - In addition to restricting the extracurricular activities of students who misuse technology in ways that may have a nexus to school, administrators should also look carefully at student behaviors and offensive online postings to see if they are truly “speech or expression” or if they are actually conduct masquerading as expression - Student secretly filmed teacher - "In its summary, the court reiterated that students’ right to critique the performance and competence of their teachers is a legitimate and important right, but that this right must be balanced against the school’s responsibility to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for students and teachers alike." - Several other states have included provisions in their anti-bullying laws that specifically ban Internet or other technology-enabled bullying - Yet school administrators are still unsure of their ability to regulate types of bullying, such as cyberbullying, which originates outside the school setting - Cyberbullying may be even more devastating to children and teenagers because it is “on” 24/7, anonymous, insidiously vicious, and is often committed by perpetrators who are simply “bored” or who react in anger to a “friend’s” rejection by publishing private communications about the former friend’s innermost thoughts and aspirations - reasons that kids cyberbully include “empowerment,” “instant gratification,” or the accessibility of a “mass audience.” - But in the school setting, where individual freedoms conflict with the rights and responsibilities of school administrators and officials, students must nonetheless be protected from physical or psychological harm at the hands of school bullies or off-campus cyberbullies, and courts and state legislatures must step in and strengthen school officials’ authority to discipline these offenders. - At the local school level, teachers and administrators need to learn to recognize not only the physical signs of bullying, but also the social and emotional effects of bullying, investigate possible causes proactively, and take action to curtail the bullying, including cyberbullying - Cyberbullying is a pervasive and growing problem. The victims deserve protection.

• Learning and Leading - February 2012 Is BYOD the Answer to Our Problems or the Worst Idea Ever? Page 5

  ISTEs member magazine, Learning amp; Leading with Technology, is published eight times a year for educators who advance excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. - "More kids will have access to the internet. No more Excuses about budget constraints preventing access." - "expecting students to use their own personal devices in school will actually widen the digital divide because some students will have much better devices than others, and some will get school hand me downs. " - "democracy and a high quality educational system require adequate funding." - 1 to 1 technology is better but "some lack the knowledge to successfully implement 1:1 technology. BYOD allows collaboration, sharing of resources, and mirrors the outside world. The tough reality out there, but some people drive Mercedes and some drive Fords. " - what if 25 students in the classroom have 25 different technologies, how can you trouble shoot them all. - "Nothing wrong with kids using extra devices if they have them but if we want kids to actually use tech in a meaningful way, we should provide it. - Chris Lehmann" - "I do not believe all students need the same tool nor do I believe all students need the government to provide them with the tools they deem best. " - "tried to find a solution that fits both sides."

• 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools -- THE Journal

  • 4. And finally, professional development is crucial to the successful adoption of any technology and should be emphasized to support mobile and social initiatives, focusing in particular on legal, ethical, and practical issues.
  • educators must be provided with professional development in digital technology in order to learn how best to engage students in and out of the classroom using these tools.
  • tudent conversation just a few hours ago: "While my teacher thinks I'm listening to my music during the test, I'm actually listening to an MP3 I made last night of all the answers on the test. My buddy took a picture of the test yesterday in class and sent it to me last night." This is not an uncommon occurance

• 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools -- THE Journal

  • 5. Equity issues need to be addressed. BYOD programs, for example, some students will not have the financial resources to supply their own equipment. Similarly, Internet access can be an issue. "Failure to address this will create a critical fault line in the differential learning opportunities available to students and, potentially, leave some groups of students ill prepared to join our country’s 21st-century workforce," the report argued.
  • Considerations for Policymakers
  • 1. The first: "Banning is not the answer." Rather, a more balanced approach to access is called for.
  • 2. Second, the function of acceptable use policies needs to be revisited. AUPs, the report's authors argued, should focus on "policy goals that go beyond the narrow set of Web site access issues that were the primary focus of many earlier AUPs."
  • "The rapid pace of technological developments and changing attitudes about appropriate ways to communicate online, personal privacy, and freedom of speech present school leaders and policy-makers with an evolving set of challenges from the classroom to the boardroom.
  • 3. Schools should use the adoption of social and mobile tools as an opportunity to reach students on issues of digital citizenship, digital literacy, and responsible use of online tools in a supervised environment.
  • "Many young people are already active digital consumers, but school is often the place where they learn to be critical, reflective, and powerful digital citizens.

• 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools -- THE Journal

  • 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools
  • • David Nagel
    • 04/11/12
  • Social and Mobile Technologies: Current Realities
  • he report cited five "critical observations" related to the use of social and mobile tools in schools,

  • 1. Social media and mobile devices are already in widespread use by students, and schools are beginning to adapt their own policies to take advantage of students' current interest in technology.

    2. Mobile technologies and social media offer "tremendous" educational benefits, including bridging formal and informal learning, providing access to educational resources students otherwise wouldn't be able to use, and offering the ability to learn lifelong technology skills, among others.

    3. Some federal, state, and local policies do not match up with current realities and need clarification or updating in light of current social trends and technological advancements.

    4. Advocates of social and mobile technology need to address negative behaviors that are sometimes associated with these technologies, including the use of technology tools in bullying, along with self-destructive behavior and poor decision-making on the part of minors whose actions can have lifelong consequences. The report's authors pointed out that schools provide a unique opportunity for students to use their favorite tools in a supervised, mentored environment.

• From Distraction to Engagement: Wireless Devices in the Classroom | EDUCAUSE

  • From Distraction to Engagement: Wireless Devices in the Classroom
  • erlin Fang 

      

    Published:

     

         Tuesday, December 22, 2009

  • Key Takeaways

    • Wireless devices in the classroom threaten to distract student attention but also offer opportunities for student engagement.
    • Faculty use different methods to reduce in-class distractions, up to mandating no use of wireless devices during class sessions.
    • To increase student engagement using wireless devices, faculty employ creative options for making wireless devices part of instruction, from cell phones as clickers to laptops for on-the-fly web research.
  • Technology teams work to bring useful technology into teaching, all with good intentions, only to encounter unwanted side effects such as distraction and disruption in the classroom.
  • Mobile phones, for instance, are considered distracting because of problems with ringing during class, cheating, or multitasking,¹ and the camera that comes with many phones can raise privacy issues as well.
  • laptop screens can become walls between students and professors.
  • Students performing multiple tasks (instant messaging, Facebook updating, and so forth) are also blamed for distracting other students from concentrating on the lectures or classroom discussions.
  • Restrictive Methods
  • Ban Laptop Use
  • one of the earliest districts to adopt a laptop computer program, decided to phase out its high-school laptop program between 2007 and 2010 after hearing teacher complaints of student abuse and the distractions caused by the laptops in class.²
  • I recently talked to a teacher in a Texas high school who said that it is challenging to ban mobile devices because of frequent exceptions (for instance, in case of emergencies), which rendered the policy hard to enforce.
  • Professors can ban the use of laptops or mobile phones in their classes, but this will penalize students who use computers to take notes, search class-related materials, or take online quizzes.
  • In a recent survey of mobile learning at Oklahoma Christian University, we found that many students expressed a strong preference to bring laptops into their classrooms so that they could take notes, f
  • They say they ban them because they are a distraction, but it should be up to the student to put the effort into the class."
  • A one-size-fits-all approach to bans, though, makes some students feel punished for something they have not done
  • Shut off Wireless
  • The law school of the University of Memphis also banned laptop use in the classroom, which caused some students to sign a petition to the American Bar Association complaining that they were denied "up-to-date education
  • his policy eliminates learning opportunities that would be possible with wireless access enabled.
  • Problems with Restrictive Methods
  • Students accustomed to using technologies all the time enter classrooms and are forced to turn off their digital devices and sit tight.
  • Harvard professor Eric Mazur, who used student response devices to promote peer instruction in the classroom, commented that laptops and smart phones do not cause more distraction than windows through which students look at birds and flowers, "yet you don't seal the windows just because of that."
  • Additionally, a confrontational or restrictive policy might create a "professor versus technology" perception that will not do professors much good, hurting student-teacher relations and in some cases faculty reputation.
  • prohibitive approaches could send the message to students that they are not trusted to take responsibility for their learning.
  • Distraction as Opportunity
  • Without implying that students are always right, I would say that the issue gives educators a reason to reflect on their own teaching or, rather, the instructional process as a whole.
  • Viewed this way, distractions caused by computers might be the result of a failure to involve students in the classroom rather than the reason they are not engaged.
  • In an age of abundance, professors might find it useful to reflect on ways to engage students who do not lack access to learning opportunities but instead have an abundance of choices.
  • Integrative Methods
  • Instead, educators should look at other factors in the model, for instance, the rules to use in the classroom to guide appropriate use, community efforts to brainstorm productive uses of technology, divisions of labor among faculty and technology staff, new teaching methods to engage students (subject), and adaptation of course materials to better deliver content for digital natives (object).
  • Use Filtering Applications ("Tool")
  • Applications such as the Respondus LockDown Browser can help when faculty want students to bring their laptops to the classroom to take online exams (especially classes with large enrollments)
  • The flip side of using such programs is that an unstable wireless network might disrupt an exam or another online activity.
  • Enable Switching Networks On and Off ("Division of Labor")
  • Some universities have made this collaboration highly granular. Bentley College, for example, allows faculty to choose one of five settings: turn off Internet access but allow e-mail access; turn off e-mail access but allow Internet access; disable Internet and e-mail access but allow computers to reach campus web pages; shut off all access; or allow all access.
  • The switch option, however, might require a certain level of technical sophistication on the part of faculty in deciding what to leave on or off and then actually controlling the switches.
  • This option could require an explicit division of labor between faculty and technical staff, which can become logistically challenging but well worth the effort.
  • Contract with Students ("Rule")

  • The School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University includes clauses in the syllabi to warn students against inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. For example:

    If your cellular phone is heard by the class, you are responsible for completing one of two options: 1. Before the end of the class period you will sing a verse and chorus of any song of your choice or, 2. You will lead the next class period through a 10-minute discussion on a topic to be determined by the end of the class. (To the extent that there are multiple individuals in violation, duets will be accepted.)¹³

  • Contracting with students implies that faculty trust individual students to make the right choices.
  • Educate the Community ("Community")
  • Some rude technology-related behaviors can be prevented or minimized if students have learned about community norms through workshops, written guidance, or orientation sessions.
  • Michael Bugeja recommends orientations on "interpersonal intelligence" to educate students about classroom rules regarding technology use and misuse.
  • "Re-mix" Lectures ("Object")
  • Another method for engaging students is to deconstruct a traditional, 50-minute lecture by breaking it up, re-mixing it, and redistributing it in a variety of formats and settings.
  • Computers in the classroom then can become an extra resource instead of a barrier between professor and students, and there is no reason why this would hurt teaching or learning.
  • Involve Learners ("Subject")
  • "It's teachers who refuse to engage students well enough and who don't set proper boundaries as to what is and isn't acceptable behavior in their classroom.
  • In traditional lecture-dominated teaching, students, who should be the subjects of learning, become the objects of teaching or the passive recipients of information

  • A Futurelab report summarized six types of learning supported by mobile technologies²³:

    • Behaviorist learning, in which mobile devices are used to create stimulus-response connections such as content delivery through mobile devices
    • Constructivist learning, in which mobile devices support student construction of knowledge
    • Situated learning, in which mobile devices are used in authentic context and culture
    • Collaborative learning, in which students learn with their mobile devices through social interactions
    • Informal and lifelong learning, which happens outside of a formal education context
    • Teaching and learning support, in which mobile devices and their associated resources are used not for actual learning but for support of human performances
  • Extended Uses
  • students employ their devices productively beyond their classrooms or even their campuses.
  • Turn Wireless Access Devices into "Study Buddies"
  • hy shouldn't educators compete for that learning space in a student's hand? Instead of banning mobile devices, or just tolerating them, educators can use such devices as tools to engage students' minds.
  • Use Wireless Access Devices to Support Performance
  • Mobile phones can be used to push performance aids such as video tutorials, guides, or written instructions to faculty or students where and when they need it, how they need it, and as much or little of it as they need.
  • Use Wireless Access Device for Outdoors Learning
  • Educators can look beyond classrooms for multiple learning opportunities that come with technology.
  • Conclusion
  • When distraction becomes a problem, we can work on the technology, the student, the professor, or all of them.
  • Rather than seeing distraction as a challenge, educators can see it as an opportunity to reflect upon and change the design of their entire instructional approach.
  • Creative and innovative educators can use technology innovations to help reform teaching, similar to the way Guttenberg's press helped bring about scientific revolution and modern authorship.

• Module 7 Overview

  - Classroom distractions are not caused by electronics; electronics are simply what the student turns to in times of classroom boredom. Why not utilize the technology to engage students and enhance learning opportunities? - Doug Johnson (2010) defines five ways that schools combat the issue of electronic devices in the classroom:  Ban  Ignore  Limit  Enhance traditional practices  Restructure the process -Will the school have enough bandwidth to support all of this newly connected technology? Will this policy impact the eRate funding the school receives? Can the school’s filtering system work on all devices? Who is responsible for the personal devices brought to school? - An implementation plan is crucial when implementing any new policy. Professional development surrounding the policy, along with creating an authorized use policy for students, should be the technology integration specialist’s main focus. -

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.