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.