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.  

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.

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

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.   

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?

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.