Sunday, April 22, 2012

Getting on the technology bus

I am ever astounded at the fast pace of the changes in the world of technology.  The role of technology in education is moving out of the computer lab in the classroom, leading to a greater importance to prepare all educators for technology integration. 

"New technology is a lightning rod and polarizing force because it not only begins to influence what we see and how we see it, but, over time, who we are." (Nicholas Carr, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.)

In a recent discussion concerning further technology adoption in my school, the point was made that we must consider some key points.
  • What pedagogical practices are being impacted with the inclusion of technology and does it make sense to bring about that change?
  • What do teachers feel comfortable with related to technology, and how do we provide them professional development to feel more comfortable?
  • Do we adopt new technologies knowing that teachers are unfamiliar with their practices and uses? 
  • How do technologies truly impact student learning and skill development?

"Teachers can enhance their lectures with presentation software, videos and other forms of multimedia, but the methods stay the same. For teachers who don’t understand how these new tools can enhance what they are teaching, then technology can be a distraction." (Aran Levasseur, Teaching Without Technology? | MindShift)

As an example, I recently observed a teacher utilizing a Smartboard in our building.  We are moving to adopt more in the next school year and some teachers are eager to try it out now.  Many see it as a great tool and perfect for today's learning, but as this eager teacher found out in is not the education panacea.

What happens when it doesn't work perfectly? 
This teacher thought you hook it up and it works.  However, it was not so.  First was how to hook it up, then what if it didn't project properly, and what if the board needs to be re-calibrated?  What do to if the software decides to quit or the downloaded lesson doesn't work quite right?  These pitfalls can happen with any technology. 

How does the lesson on the board translate to good teacher?  
The lesson doesn't replace good teaching.  The board is just the medium through which good teaching takes place, just as if with a worksheet, text book or other tool.  A good teacher should be able to teach with or without the board with the same effectiveness, and adapt the lesson with the ebbs and flows that technology can bring.

How does the Smartboard impact student learning? 
As one person in the meeting brought up when I mentioned the impact I had seen on student engagement in using the board since September, that it wasn't the board itself, but the impact of my teaching and ability to engage students through the use of the board.  With any technology, thought should be given to its true impact on learning in the classroom.  



What does this all mean? 

This gave thought to the adoption of any technology, Smartboard, laptops, iPads, etc... Those that understand the technology need to guide teachers first, and provide the technology second.  While there a great thoughts for how important technology is to 21st Century learning, it is also important to consider at what pace these adoptions and changes are brought into the classroom.  

Technology can be great a method for alternate assessment and a means to complete a skill, but we need to instruct students how to do this, just as we instruct them to complete a math equation or formulate an essay.  Students cannot learn how to best utilize the tools if teachers are not on the bus with them.


"What's important to remember is that your colleagues did not get there overnight. What's also important to remember is that you can only glean so much about a lesson or project through a tweet, a blog post or a quick walk by a classroom door. I can remember thinking that a project I did was really "cool," only to realize that it wasn't necessarily as effective as I would have liked. From the outside, my lesson looked great -- the kids were content creators, their work was shared with the world and they were using a digital tool of some kind -- but my project objective or outcome was fuzzy, or the process to get there left much to be desired.
Most people who successfully integrate technology into their classrooms on a daily basis have not always had success. Their road to successful lessons has been plagued by tech failures, poor time management, misleading directions or an incomplete understanding of the tool or technology they were putting into their students' hands." (Mary Beth Hertz, @mbteach)

So as schools move forward to include more technologies into the classroom, make sure that right people, the teachers, are on the bus first, and then make sure the bus is headed in the right direction, impacting student achievement.  Don't be afraid to adopt in waves, and to wait to see if the technology is truly having an impact before going to the next stop.  

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The rules of game playing

My husband and I love games.   It is a fun way to hang in on a Saturday night and they are one of our favorite parts of going camping.  This year being so busy we haven't had much time to drag out our Monopoly or Scrabble Board. 

Who needs a Scrabble game anymore when you have Words with Friends?  Sadly last camping trip my husband suggested why drag out the game when we could play on our phones.  When you played Scrabble, you had to look at those letters, hope you could form a word you know, and hope no one challenged you.  The game was not just about forming words, but learning the socialization and rules that went along with playing.  How to take the idea that someone may challenge you and how to take the chance to challenge someone else.  Playing well meant learning new words in the dictionary and how to use those q's without the u's.  There was also the rule that once the letters were down, that was it, your turn was taken and you could not change them.  With my Words with Friends app, I take occasionally take chances playing letters in different locations, trying to form chance words that have no meaning to me.  There is no challenging if a word is real or not, the game decides that for you. Since you are playing away from your opponent, you can use the dictionary...a big no no in the board game.  The score is kept by the game, so not long sheet of adding points. 

Monopoly has always been one of my favorites and I was so delighted to find an app for that!  So recently my husband and I decided to play.  How silly it was sitting on the couch, each with iPad in hand playing the game.  I must admit it was fun to watch the dog pawn run as it moved, and to experience the game with such interaction.  However, once again, the rules were controlled by the device.  There was no money under Free Parking and you didn't get $400 if you landed directly on Go.  Additionally, there was no banker as the device just calculated for you, so no one had to worry about counting money.  All the money you had and properties you owned were right there on the screen, so no trying to hide that extra $500 or property you were holding to bargain with. 

Game playing is a social event and it is also learning to follow rules, with those you are playing with holding you accountable.  With apps and video games, most of that element is taken away.  The rules and regulations are controlled by the game and children do not have to think about what they are to do.  Turn taking is set up for them and scores calculated.  It puts forth for consideration how does this lack of experience effect children.  How can they learn to work within a set of rules that may have consequences if they are not followed?  Watching students at recess is a great example of how kids handle the social aspect of game playing and should be readily observed by teachers to see where is there a teachable moment in relation to this. 

Social Skills is a focus for part of the year in one of my classes.  A great way to work on this is playing games...real games.  I find more and more students need direct instruction on skills such as:

  • Setting up a game
  • How to wait their turn
  • Cheating is not acceptable
  • Knowing the rules
  • Handling the rules
  • Calculating the score
  •  Coping when others call you out on not following the rules

I will not give up playing games on my devices I know, and neither will kids.  However, we should not neglect the importance of playing actual games with kids.  There is so much they have to learn from them.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Empowering or Enabling

In a recent meeting with my headmaster, we were discussing the implementation of a text and email messaging system for closings and delays. We currently provide such information on our info line, school website, Facebook and Twitter accounts; However, with the recent New England storms taking out power, we think there is a need for an alternate way to notify our families of important information.

So it got me looking for a way to easily send text message and email notifications. I found a few web based options, Remind101 and Class Parrot. These sites tout themselves as a great way to disseminate information to your students. One even allows them to text you back.

This is astounding. I was surprised when teachers became responsible for maintaining websites with assignments and information. This was the first step in taking the ownership off students. Now with social media and texting, are we making students less responsible?

Difficulties in the area of executive functioning have become notable in the last several years. These difficulties often arise in organization of assignments. While the current tools related to assignment posting can be argued to support students, empowering them by providing with opportunities to check assignments, could it also be pointed out that it possibly enables the dysfunction. Knowing that they can easily check assignments later, or contact the teacher, takes away the responsibility for them to attend initially in class.

We all like our information immediate and within easy reach, but should it be the first thing we model for students.  I recall my college Sociology professor once said to our class that he was not going to teach us information, but teach us how to find it.  Students need to learn the responsibility for their successful learning, and this "Wikipedia World" seems to be taking that important skill development away.