Technology: From the Top, Down

            It is unrealistic to think that in this day and age you can be successful without being technologically proficient, no matter what career path you follow.  This is no less true in education.  Current programs require students to take (and pass) technology classes about incorporating technology into instruction.  This means that the “newbies” coming out of programs have the first steps and tools they need to bring technologies into the classroom.  However, they should not be the only ones with these skills and insights.  This technology proficiency should be mandatory for all teachers, support staff and administrators in schools.

            I add administrators to the list intentionally.  While they do not have classrooms of their own in which to implement technology, they are the heads of their schools/districts.  As such, they need to provide the example and the leadership they wish their teachers and staff to show. 

            More and more of the state and national standards are moving to include technological components.  Beyond this, there are specific technology standards on their own that districts are requiring.  All of this makes perfect sense; our job as teachers is to prepare our students to be successful and productive in the real world, a job we would be failing at by ignoring the importance of technology.  However, we can hardly require our students to care about and show proficiency in topics which we are ourselves unfamiliar with.  The chain of technological proficiency needs to start at the top.  There must be a leader (an administrator) who stays relevant and current and enthusiastic about technology implementation, which is passed to the next level (teachers) who incorporate technology in learning and encourage its use, and finally comes to the end of the chain (the students,) who investigate, learn and utilize these technologies.  However, if there is a break in the chain others must pick up the slack.

            While technology has become an ever present aspect in our lives, including teaching and learning, it is also a moving target.  There are constantly new advances and new ways of using the tools at hand.  Therefore it takes many people, making a conscious effort to stay on top of developments, to effectively and appropriate make technology an active part of the teaching and learning process.

Here's a cute little video that I think sums up much of what I have been talking about in my blogs/what we have been learning about in class:

 

Internet Research: Educators' Responsibilities

Our professional development two weeks ago was centered around technology in the classroom, specifically internet research.  The speaker told us an anecdote of his own daughter’s attempts to use the internet to research a topic she had to write a paper on.  The young girl (8-years-old or so,) was supposed to write a paper on octopus, citing her resources.  While doing her research, she came upon a website that described the rare “tree octopus;” in other words, an octopus that lives in trees rather than under water (http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/).  The young girl thought this would be a terrific addition to her paper, and carefully cited the website after adding it to her paper.  If she had read carefully, she would have noticed that this website was set up as a farce.  Instead, she added it to her paper and had points deducted from her grade.

            The point of telling this anecdote was to tell us that, as educators, our job is to better educate our students on how to properly use the internet and its resources, rather than simply taking points off when our students do not meet our expectations. 

            The speaker went on to show us how to use an advanced Google search.  Using this, students can set the domain to only include “.edu,” ensuring that only articles coming through accredited educational institutions come up in the search.  As an added tool, you can also set the file type. 

            Young students need this type of education in order to be successful in their research.  They are no longer going to libraries and using encyclopedias.  Using the internet opens the door to nearly limitless resources and tools, but without guidance, students can fall prey to such things as the tree octopus.  Even older students need to be reminded of how to properly research on the internet.  Even if they know how to advance search or even use a database to find peer reviewed papers, it is always easier to type in a quick Google or Bing search and be done with it.  If we expect our students to be informed consumers and to cite and research properly, it is our responsibility to teach them the skills they need.

Check out the “Save the Tree Octopus” page:

Bringing Pen Pals into the 21st Century

Reading Leading 21^st Century Schools by Schrum and Levin this week, I found myself continuously thinking about one Web 2.0 tool that they mentioned.  The more I thought about it, the more I could envision using it in the classroom.  The more I thought about using it in the classroom, the more eager I became to look into it.

The concept, or tool, itself is simple (all the better for me, as I still struggle to master the more difficult and involved tools and skills of Web 2.0).  In fact, it is by no means a new concept.  Rather, it is a tool that is being updated and expanded through the wonders of international internet use.  The tool is, quite simply, having a Pen Pal.  However, in our modern world, the implications of having a virtual Pen Pal have shot through the roof.  Now called a “keypal,” our students can connect with other students in the far reaches of the world instantly (although I do have to admit that part of the allure to having a Pen Pal was never being able to anticipate when that next letter would arrive!).  Additionally, there are added tools, such as Webcams, that make the prospect of having a Pen Pal not only more alluring, but also more authentic to the students.

            The education implications are countless.  We have become, rightfully, more concerned with educating our students from a culturally diverse and accepting perspective.  What better way to enhance students’ cultural understanding than to connect with other students of differing cultures.  For example, we do a unit on heritage where students discuss their personal heritage.  If students were able to connect with other students from their ancestral home lands and learn first hand about the traditions and ideals that they still hold to, imagine how much greater students understanding, engagement and appreciation of the topic would be.  Additionally, this is a tool and a skill that all ages of students could easily partake in, one of the main reasons why I became so taken with the idea.  The website mentioned in the book, which I have since visited and found to be outstanding, called ePals is billed as a K-12 Social Learning Network.  And, as they note in the book, “Keypals offer authentic reasons for students of all ages to read and write” Lynne M. Schrum; Barbara B. (Barry) Levin. Leading 21st-Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement (p. 87). Kindle Edition.  Most importantly, I love that the ePal site offers, “built-in safety features that allow teachers to monitor all e-mails going out and coming in, filter out spam, block selected sites, and customize keyword blocks to filter out inappropriate words so that school leaders and teachers can feel confident that students are focusing on learning by engaging in keypal projects” (p.87). 

            While I think that the implications of using ePal in my second grade classroom will limit my students to corresponding with only fellow English speaking keypals, at least most cases, it is still a tool I am excited to experiment with.  I think it is a great learning/fun tool for students.  Check it out! The ePal site.

Making technology more functional for our students

There is something that has been bothering me for quite some time.  It may seem silly and even petty in the grand scheme of our classrooms, but nevertheless, it is something that I would like to get off my chest.  Let me start by saying that I think it is really important for us to use technology purposefully, not just for the sake of "using technology."  Therefore, technology tools need to be supported, they need to be practical to classroom use, and they need to be FUNCTIONAL.  For example, when you put up a SMART Board, please think about its uses in the classroom and what the intent of the object is.  Most classrooms are mounting SMART Boards over existing chalk and/or white boards.  This makes sense, since for the most part it is central to the classroom and teaching space.  However, if you place a SMART Board in the middle of other boards, you eliminate their functionality.  This is not my biggest frustration though.  My biggest frustration is that you need to mount a SMART Board where it is usable by STUDENTS and not just the teacher!  Elementary students do not have the same capability to reach up to the board as adults do; let's face it, they're short!  Therefore, the board needs to be mounted below where we would expect it to be mounted for adult use.

  This board is too high for this little girl to use comfortably.  If it was mounted a foot lower even, it would be a more effective tool!

A SMART Board is a fantastic tool that really gets students engaged and excited about learning...but only if they have access to it.  Some teachers worry about the expense of the board and that if you allow students to use it they will break it/"mess it up."  Having worked with very young students, there is some validity to this.  However, if some precautions are taken, then there are solutions!

• Move all other writing utensils, such as white board markers and chalk, away when you want a student to write on the board.  This means they only have the option of using the SMART Board pens and there will be no problem!
• If you worry about dirty and messy fingers on the board, use a tennis ball to help students manipulate things on the board.  They hold the ball to move things around and never have to lay a finger on the board.  This also helps young students when their motor skills are still developing use the board.
• Model proper use of the board.  Explain to students that they are working with something special, and so it needs to be treated with care.  Before allowing students to come up and perform a new task on the board that they are unfamiliar with, model this as well.  This will eliminate the potential that students will "break" the tool.
• Mount the board to the appropriate height!  I can not say enough about this.  If students can not reach the board, then they use their other hand to stabilize themselves or they lean their arm on the board and then they are unable to perform the task they are attempting.  It gets frustrating to the students and to the teacher.  This may seem minor, but trust me, it can make a big difference!!!