Is it really that shocking? Technology and academics together

I recently had to complete an assignment for my graduate class that proposed an action plan related to impacting student achievement.  I outlined the implementation of technology curriculum directly into the academic classrooms of our skill-based program from students with learning disabilities.  This plan laid out a interweaving of technology standards and direct instruction within the academic area standards to provide greater utilization of technology as a means of acquiring and demonstrating knowledge in the classroom.

"Media literacy is an important topic to be integrated throughout the curriculum so that every student has the opportunity to become actively engaged in learning about it multiple ways throughout each school year." (Swaim, 2002)

The plan seemed so commonsensical.  The idea developed out of a series of conversations with the Director of Curriculum at my school, and seemed so logical in its development.  As academic technology coordinator, I would develop goals and objects based on state standards and then work with the other department heads to develop technology based projects for their academic areas to meet goals for both domains.  The ultimate goal to have greater technology instruction woven in to demonstrate purpose and provide dual direct instruction to benefit the acquisition of skills.

My plan followed the mission of my school, "..to help children with learning disabilities develop a foundation of skills, gain an understanding of their abilities, and prepare for a more traditional program." (Eagle Hill Southport), as well as the mission of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), "To expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through research and development of innovative, technology-based educational resources and strategies."

So much to my surprise, my professor felt this plan was of key importance and that I should publish an article based on my rationale.  I did not find my ideas, foundation of points, or thoughts to be so innovative, but just good practice.  Apparently, maybe good practice in my eyes is different as I teach in an ideal setting of being able to be create the optimal learning opportunities for my students without many restrictions.  My school does best practice on a daily basis to provide for our students, and I do think that what we do, while not innovative, is unique in its actual implementation.  So maybe after all my time there, my ideas are something outside the norm of traditional practice.  That saddens me for public education.  So now I explore the idea of submitting an article. 

As Alan November (2011) says, "The whole capacity to pick a specific curricular area, such as reading, and building a plan around that makes sense to me.  Too often what I see is technology for technology's sake...Whatever the technology du jour is, you know, we'll have our next favorite technology.  So, extending beyond that, the vision absolutely comes first, then the technology.  It is not the other way around."  

The ideas are out there, maybe I can join with those that have the same vision and bring it into practice.  How do you utilize technology in your school and classrooms? 



Alan November, http://novemberlearning.com/, 2011
 

Sue Swaim, Executive Director, National Middle School Association

Telemedium, The Journal of Media Literacy, Vol. 48, No. 2, Fall 2002

Technology...multisenory learning?

I had an interesting conversation the other day with our school psychologist, Dave, who works at our sister school a few towns over.  They adopt technology a bit quicker than we do, with a 1-1 laptop program for the upper school and a full school adoption of interactive whiteboards a few years ago.

So he came into my first period recently and was asking my class questions concerning our interactive board...the only one in the building and installed this past summer.  My students love it!  I couldn't figure where Dave's questioning was going.

Working with our student population...students with learning disabilities, in a transitional skill based program...multi-sensory learning with consideration for all modalities (verbal, auditory, kinesthetic) is very key to our instruction.  

So again...I am lost as to his questioning....then it becomes clear...Dave states that with the focus to use the interactive whiteboard, there has been a decrease in traditional hands on activities.  Are we truly doing less multi-sensory teaching?

Is the interaction with the whiteboard multi-modal?  While it is interactive...how many dimensions are you really interacting with?  This was Dave's point, is the interactive whiteboard as multi-modal as you would assume?  It does have many bells and whistles, it is interactive like a video game, however what does it require of the student's modalities? 

Interactive boards are very visual, can be auditory, but are they truly kinesthetic?  This is a fine line.  Students can touch them, they can move objects, they can write on them, but take a game my math class loves where they touch dice to roll them, and then multiple them.  Which is more interactive, touching an image that rolls or actually rolling dice? Doing a word sort, is moving words to a column on the board, where feedback is immediate, or doing a word sort where the answer is not immediately acknowledge, but more thought is required to ensure accuracy a more interactive activity? 

I think of board games versus video games...which requires more interaction, more effort?  This could be argued both ways; however, interaction involved with technology is really between the technology and one person...where an actual hands on activity, involves more interaction with others and tactile feedback.  Without technology there is often less immediate feedback, which means there needs to be more thought on the students part before ensuring accuracy, meaning more metacognition required.

The interactive board has added a lot to my classroom, but it is also not the only tool I use for learning.  This conversation with Dave was crucial to reinforce the need to keep our traditional activities to support learning, that full adoption of interactive boards is not necessarily the best for learning.  Teachers need to utilize these tools with care to the fact that traditional, tried and true practices are not to be left behind.

As we move forward to 21st century practices, we need to remember that there are educational practices that have been used without technology that are just as effective, if not more.  Any tool used in the classroom needs to be to the benefit of the whole student, whether requiring electricity or not.    

Does technology really impact learning?

I have been contemplation technology in the classroom a lot, as it is going to be the focus of a project for one of my graduate school classes. 

Utilizing the Smartboard in my classroom has been interesting.  I love it for some classes, and find it to be a glorified whiteboard during others.  It draws attention, good and bad for my students.

However, does the cost really correlate to the learning impact?  This I am not sure of, and am leaning on the side of no.  Lessons are engaging, however could putting an iPad or laptop in the direct hands of a student have a greater impact?  For the cost of my board, my school could purchase 8 iPads or 4 laptops.  These could impact student learning in all classrooms, not just mine.  Additionally, aren't these the tools that students need to be utilizing with as they are the real world tools they will use beyond the classroom?

I love technology, and always have the lastest and greatest.  However, I think sometimes people adopt technology into schools without full thought to how it will be utilized in direct practice, how it will directly impact student learning, and what the end goal will be with relation to its use.  Most public schools have interactive whiteboards in the classrooms, but how much are they fully being used and what evidence is there that student learning is improved by them?

In considering the adoption of iPads, I read about many schools that have jumped in with 1-1 programs, but what data is being collect to demonstrate that the use of them is directly improving student achievement? 

What do you think?
I would love to hear from educators concerning these issues.  What do you see?  What proof is out there as to the true growth of our students development with these tools? Are students truly using them to engage in learning or to just engage in interacting with the technology? 

21st century learning should include technology just because technology exists.  It needs to be used to directly impact student learning in ways that could not be done before.  It needs to level the playing field for a variety of learning styles and needs.  It does not need to be there because students only know how to learn with technology. 

Teaching and learning with technology....Livescribe


The Livescribe Pen
I became an Ambassador this year for Livescribe.  They sent me a pen to use and to assess how it can impact learning.

I am fascinated by this pen.  You write in special notebooks, and then can upload the files to your computer, or to applications like Evernote (a favorite of mine).  Additionally they have software that can covert your handwriting to text.  This of course is dependent on the neatness of your handwriting.

Storage and organization
My first usage is for my current grad school course.  I began the course typing my notes, but saw this as a great opportunity to put the pen to the test.  I do love traditional note taking in a notebook, but love to have access to my notes on my computer.  The Livescribe is a serious solution for this.  I love that I can store and organize my notes, with papers I have typed for the class, and any other digital resources.

The distractability of technology
Additionally, taking notes with the pen is less distracting than using my computer.  While typing on my computer, I can get distracted with my email, Twitter, Facebook, or any of several other applications.  With the pen, I have it and my notebook, but still will eventually get digital notes.  This could be very key for students.  How easily they can be off task in the middle of class, especially those prone to distractability. There is little on the pen to play with.

Audio
I have yet to try the audio component of it.  You can record what is being said while you write it.  They when reviewing your notes, you can touch on the spot you were writing, and play back was was being said as you wrote it.  I think of this as a great tool to address executive functioning and memory difficulties.  I have two students I tutor who could benefit greatly from this.  They are in public schools, and often miss things said in class because they are busy trying to write things down.  This would enable them to record things, and then we could review them later to ensure they received and noted all the information needed. 

I look forward to exploring more opportunities with the pen at work as a teacher, and as a student myself. 

Teaching and learning with technology....the iPad


iPad 
It is no surprise to anyone in the building how much I love my iPad.  So many more people who are not geeky like me, are discovering the wonders of this device.  I used it mainly for my personal use; however, I have spent the summer exploring educational uses.

I was frustrated at first in searching the app store, as most educational apps seemed geared toward preschool skills, or for those with more severe disabilities, such as autism, for communication.  But what about students with learning disabilities, or those who could just use some extra practice to keep up with today's fast paced learning?

There seems to be more apps arriving geared toward such learning.  I was excited to find a series of apps related to various math skills that I know would be ideal for my students.  I shared this with the parents of my students at Open House.  They always want to know how they can help, although we ask them to have a hands-off approach while they are at our school.  The parents were excited to hear that they could encourage practice, as the students love to touch the iPad just as much as the Smartboard!

I found some story telling apps that while a bit low level for my students, can encourage them to practice oral story telling, which in turn may aid them in their written stories.   They seem to guide them through the organization and sequencing process at a very basic level.   Additionally they are recorded orally, so the student can hear themselves when they are done to self-assess.  I love that it allows them to be creative without the handwriting component that can hold up my students with dysgraphia or difficulty with spelling due to their learning disabilities. 

My favorite usage is the iBooks app.  I have a trio that need a lot of direct instruction in reading, but that we want to give exposure to age appropriate books to.  Usually this would involve me reading aloud, which I do at times.  However, I found that there are several books in iBooks that will read the book to the students, highlighting each word as it is read.  This is great feedback for my students.  No other app does that, they simply read aloud.  I do wish the students could touch a word and have it read, but maybe that will come down the road.  For the parents of these students, whom I know had iPads or iTouches at home, I shared that this would be a wonderful way to encourage independent reading.  The students love when I hook my iPad up to the interactive whiteboard and we can "read" the book on the board.  I know they would be just as happy at home to read if it meant that it was on an iDevice. 

There are many tweets I have saved that talk about iPads in school.  I hope to scour them for more great ways that an iPad can impact learning.  It is a wonderful device not just as an assistive tool, but for direct learning as well. 

Teaching and learning with technology....the interactive whiteboard

The beginning of the school year has been a whirlwind as usual, so here it is October and I am finally getting a chance to reflect on my new technology for this year.

Smartboard 
My classroom in the first in our building to have an interactive whiteboard installed.  We have held off on this piece of technology, not sure if it would directly impact student learning given our unique learning environment. 

I have to say it is an amazing piece of technology.  I have the latest model and its like a giant iPad!  I love that I can set up a page for each class first thing in the morning with the agenda for that class and what homework will be.  I used to have do to this in between each class.   It is nice to not have to erase the board immediately in the middle of the lesson to keep writing, I simply get to go to a new page.   Additionally, if it is a writing brainstorm, word list for Tutorial, or a word problem we are working on in math, I can save it right where we left off for the next day. 

The interactive lessons are wonderful for my students.  It gets them out of their seats and they want to interact with the board. 

But is it really a cost effective teaching tool?  I am not sure on that yet.  Yes my students are very engaged, but I also found ways to engage them and get them moving without such a high cost.  Manipulatives and file folder games can cover kinesthetic learning in most of my classes.  A ball, a dart gun or a basketball hoop in just as interactive as moving items on an interactive board.  There are the gigantic post-it note paper that can hold brainstorms and math problems until the next day.  

The board is also a distraction in its novelty.  The students want to touch it, they want to draw on it, they want to see what it can do, when they are supposed to be focusing on the words I'm saying, what work is in front of them, or even what I am writing on the board.  I will be curious when this wears off.

I do look forward to spending the year working with the board and seeing what I can create.  Also I will be working with staff to utilize the board, in their hopes to also have an interactive board installed in their rooms.   

Powerless Teacher

Irene...it has come and gone...leaving many without power...this got me thinking...

Can you teach without power?

In this day and age of technology, do you know how to teach with out it? As I have stated before, my school is on the slower side of implementing technology. However, the success we have with our students is solid. We could begin tomorrow with no power, and our students would be given the same learning environment as if the lights were on.

How to address skills and keep kids involved.

Think if you had to go into your class room to address skills and/or curriculum, could you do it seamlessly without the use of technology? I think technology is fabulous, I always adopt the latest and greatest. However, in my classroom, I am much more disconnected. I use flashcards, hands on manipulatives, games, and books. Last year the device I used most was a document camera and a projector. My students were still involved with interactive learning by file folder games, flashcard sorting, word sorts courtesy of Words Their Way, and writing on their desks with dry erase markers. My students love to throw a squishy brain in a box after reading a word, or throw a sticky ball at a target on the board after solving a math problem...they are engaged and attentive with these activities. Two years ago my literature class loved building a log cabin out of popsicle sticks and clay for a Sign of the Beaver project. I had one student even bring in Lego figures to add in. For fluency, teachers have kids read using "phones" made from pvc piping to hear themselves and our older students make great book report projects using poster board that astound me with creativity. No technology needed.

How much is too much?

Technology provides us with many great avenues to address learning. However, can we become too reliant and forget what teaching can be without it. If you had to go into your classroom tomorrow with no power, could you teach your class with the same finesse and success?

I will be training teachers on developing Smartboard lessons this year...but I will caution them to realize that they are still awesome teachers without it and that the kids are not learning or engaged any less with out it.

Blogging

I have been developing tasks that I want to complete with the students in our school for the upcoming year. I not only teach regular classes, but teach technology. We are a unique school, and we are slow to accept technology. This is due to the fact of determining how technology can remediate versus compensate. We are focused on teaching skills, so look for tools to remediate.

However, I am looking for the current tools to use with our students. It's a fine line. Having taking up blogging myself, I am interested in introducing it to our upper school students with the help of the writing department head, with anonymity. Giving them a voice, but not compromising their identity on the internet. Love the posts I have discovered on the best ways to do this.

I teach in the lower school for my regular classes, and was trying to figure how I could incorporate this with my writing class this year, without having computers available on a regular basis. I found a wonderful blog about using paper blogs with students as an introduction to blogging. I am so excited to try this with my class this year. It gives an authentic purpose to their writing, and it also incorporates some creativity.

I am dedicating my main bulletin board to writing, namely blogs. Each student will design a background, (pics to come later) and then as they finalize a piece or complete a journal topic, it will be posted on their blog.

I thought of renaming them to plogs (paper logs), however this does not keep the tie over I was looking for. Then I realized, they would be bulletin board logs, so the word blog still fits.

I look forward to posting the fruits of their labor when school starts next week. Incorporating technology is all about adapting to the needs of the student. I look forward to seeing how I can adapt this great tool with an array of ages and abilities.

What kind of learner are you?

After taking a bit of a break from technology since summer school finished, I find myself today back exploring Google Apps in Education. (Who thinks teachers really take the summer off?!) I have been going through their online training, but as I read each of the steps, I found I was not really processing all the details. I needed to sign up and actually start manipulating the apps while reading the information. I had to read then try, read then try...and walk away...then try again. Yes, I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. After spending periods of time, I am finally beginning to understand these Apps.

This made me think about my students who have learning disabilities and how some get so easily lost in the traditional setting. It is not shocking to find that many students with learning disabilities can do okay up through the 2nd or 3rd grade. Early grades tend to focus on teaching skills more than curriculum. There is more multi-modal education worked on at these levels. However, it is when the focus switches to mainly curriculum that many falter. Students with learning disabilities need more direction and hands on time working skills than a traditional learner. They need steps micro-united and practiced for a greater period of time, as well as presented in many different ways. Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences are key here. I remember reading that a student with learning disabilities need to hear and see information a significantly greater amount of times in order to learn it. Unfortunately, there is no magic number and in a traditional setting, not always the time and leeway to do this.

Our education system is also moving to push curricular skills at younger and younger ages. In Connecticut, the CMT is a key factor in how education has changed. Take a student with learning disabilities who needs those several years of skill building, but now require them to learn curriculum when they are not ready, and it is an unfortunate outcome.

I see how things can be different on a daily basis. I have worked in public schools, but now work at an independent school for students with learning disabilities and our focus is skills. We take the time on a daily basis in every subject, at recess, in the lunch room, and even during sports and activities to build those skills. They do hear, see, and do a great number of times to foster the potential they have as learners. There is no defined timeline in which we do this, as each learner is different. However, they do find themselves and the skills that have been locked up. They are learners, but we try all the bags of tricks and then find some more...we try and walk away, then try again....until they find the success within them. It is an ideal setting for these learners, and I am reminded to day after spending about a month off and on with Google Apps, that it does come with patience, understanding, time and creativity.

Computers for writing

I have read several posts and articles lately about how cursive is on its way out and keyboarding is on its way in at younger ages. It is an interesting debate.

Being able to legibly handwrite seems like it should be a basic skill for everyone. However, I do know for many of my students, that goal may never be attained. With those with dysgraphia or fine motor weaknesses, legible handwriting just may not be a reasonable goal.

In relation to cursive, there are several schools of thought. One local independent schools requires their students to completely use cursive by third grade, while other schools are phasing cursive instruction completely out. Those in the field of Orton-Gillingham general feel that cursive handwriting can support decoding skills by mimicking the connection of sounds. Does cursive still have a place?

The comes word processing. I personally am a much better writer when I type, as was duly noted by a professor in graduate school. It allows for my ideas to flow much more clearly, as well as provides for fast and easy editing. In writing classes, I have utilized word processing units such as AlphaSmarts and Fusions. These have opened the door for several of them to express their ideas with greater ease and no distractions of other programs. Taking away the physical task of handwriting is all that was needed to allow them to fluidly develop their writing compositions. Some devices additionally can provide audio feedback directly to the student which gives them increased control in the process. Computer programs, additionally, allow for easier editing, and visual support for when errors are made, as well as easy access to dictionaries and thesauruses to build word choice.

However, as I worked with a group of students recently, I saw how at young ages, the use of word processing could actually hinder the process. The act of typing slowed them down as they were unfamiliar with key placement; so not only were they sounding out words, they were trying to find keys. When given audio feedback through read-backs, or visual feedbacks with underlined errors, they were caught up fixing the error immediately rather than continuing with idea development. With older students, I have seen that the bells and whistles of fonts, colors, and other easily accessed programs at their fingertips can provide an easy distraction to those with a propensity to move off task.

That all being said, there are wonderful ways to account for these difficulties and make computers are wonderful tool for students. For younger students, I feel, handwriting drafts is still a crucial point of development, if reasonable for that student. Having students fully write out initial brainstorms and drafts, then using word processing for final drafts ensures that they do not get caught up with the typing skill at the expense of idea development. For older students, establish set standards for typed pieces such as font size and color. We generally utilize 12 point Times New Roman font so there is no need to play with those tools. Additionally, dictation software is a wonderful choice for many students for whom both handwriting and typing are a difficulty.

So should it be print, cursive or keyboarding? Each student will thrive with one and not with another, and all tools should be taught and experienced so that when the student chooses what is their best mode for communicating in writing, they have a full set of skills to choose from.

To tech or not to Tech

The school I teach at is specifically for students with learning disabilities. We focus on skills rather than curriculum, and have a low student to teacher ratio. Overall, we make a great impact on may students who were struggling in traditional classrooms.

When I started working there, technology was a few laptops (those old clamshell Macs with OS9!) and some AlphaSmarts. Today, we are a few more laptops (Macbooks) and Fusions, with a smattering of Elmos (document cameras). We do use Accelerated Math, Accelerated Reader and Lexia to support skills. (Note no interactive whiteboards.)

As a self professed technology geek, I love using it when I can. However, in my daily teaching of skills, I utilized tried and true methods that are quite successful without a lot of techie bells and whistles. A few years ago we explored the idea of implementing interactive whiteboards. They are being implemented everywhere, so figured maybe we should go that route. I do have to admit that I am awed by them and would love to have one in my room. However, I am skeptical as to the impact it will have on my students.

I do have to say some of my students are definitely more engaged when I utilize the Elmo, but I also have some that cannot attend to a brief movie. They love throwing a squishy brain into a box when they read a sentence correctly, or throwing a sticky ball or Nerf dart gun at the board to pick a word to read. They are awed when they can use dry erase markers on their desks for spelling practice. These simple tools engage my students at least as much as a lesson from the internet would.

In a meeting with our Smart-board rep recently, he noted how a local school district that is socio-economically disadvantaged has these boards in all their classrooms due to a Federal grant. Yet, the state test scores came out this week and there was no improvement in those schools.

I am not against the use of interactive whiteboards or any technology in classrooms. We will be implementing one for me to utilize and train staff on for the upcoming year. Additionally, I am exploring apps to utilize in the classroom on my iPad. I am just curious about the automatic placement some school districts are doing at such a great cost. Towns budgets are in dire need, yet the technology going into schools is astounding. Does the technology really increase students building their skills, or is it just another expensive tool to use during instruction?

Social Networking and Inferencing

As I think about the students in our school and the use of social media, there are areas that concern me for some of them. These concerns can really extend to any student navigating the online world...inferencing and implied meanings.

There has been much written about how misunderstandings can easily occur with online communication. Without the facial and physical cues to read, meanings of humor, sarcasm, and truth can be missed by anyone.

Take a student who has difficulty reading meaning with face-to-face interactions or with meanings implied in books, and put them in the sea of social networking...it is an area for great concern. If a student cannot grasp concepts in an age-appropriate book, I cannot imagine how they can navigate all the information easily accessed from opening a simple web browser, sent in a text message, or posted on FB.

As adults, we need to be mindful of how we expose children to this great world of information. There is much to be learned, but there is also a great vat of misinformation at the touch of our fingertips. It is no longer as simple as keeping the computer in the main room of the house to be aware of what children are doing.

Information is easily accessed from the latest and greatest devices that are readily in the hands of most students today. Unfortunately, cognitively whether having a learning disability or not, they do not understand all that is involved reaching out into the web. I know I have addressed with my students to beware of what they post; however, I still hear about pictures and words that they FB or text that come back to haunt them.

What can be difficult for many educators and parents is that the kids have a better understanding of technology than they do. Even if you don't understand it, you need to be aware of how your kids understand it. It is about being involved and having discussions. Just because they want the technology, does not mean they are ready to handle it on their own. Be involved with your students and children as they utilize it, don't let them infer their way through it on their own.

diving in

Writing has never been my forte...Just ask Mrs. Loungo my writing tutor in middle school. I often wonder in this day and age, I myself would have been diagnosed with a learning disability. My mother, a former teacher, used all the techniques and tricks to get me back on track...hated her for it then, but appreciate it now. Maybe that is why I gravitated to working with kids with learning disabilities. I cannot imagine doing any other job. Each day is a new and wonderful adventure.

Yet here I sit taking on a new challenge of writing about travels in learning.

I am not an adventurer nor leader by nature, yet I find myself in a place where I need to push beyond that and venture out.

A few years ago, I was given the position of technology coordinator at my school...a position that began as the person in charge of introducing more technology to the students. Simple enough as we are a skill based program and my job was to build technology skills. Yet, as with the nature of technology, skills required to go into the world have been rapidly changing. It is not just about word processing and web researching; it is about navigating this ever developing world of social networking, engaging with new forms of technology, and utilizing new ways to create and share information. So this position of basics, led me to realize I had to understand more. Thus the adventure begins.

I dip my foot into the pool of what more is out there to learn and I find it is an Olympic size pool! A trip to the last TRLD conference in San Francisco in 2009, opened my eyes to that greater possibilities out there. I had so much ground to cover.

So I took on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and just the whole nature of information sharing that is out there. I quickly saw possibilities, although daunted by how much I have to learn. Developing my PLN and reconnecting with old friends, while making new ones, all became a new world. Luckily in the time consuming nature of this, I have a husband who is just as geeky as I am and who supports my adventures with vigor and love.

I seek to know more about learning and technology both personally and professionally. I hope to document these travels, forcing myself to take the lead and share with my colleagues the whole world that is out there to understand and interact with.