Considering "Underage Children and Social Networking" from JRTE in light of ISTE NETS-S

Weeden,S., Cooke, B., & McVey, M. (2013). Underage children and social networking. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 45(3), 249-262.

Weeden, Cooke, and McVey (2013) surveyed nearly 200 elementary students between 7 and 12 years old.  They found that students as young as 9 years old had social networking pages, despite the age restriction.  To circumvent this restriction, children lied about their age, often with their parents’ knowledge.  While many students realized that their photos and information posted are publicly available on these sites, 25% of the students did not.  To address these concerns, Weeden, Cooke, and McVey (2013) suggest providing safety information to students and caregivers early.  This would allow parents to help their students manage privacy settings and instruct students in responding to online harassment.

Until reading this article, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to children on the internet.  I’ve been assuming that kids today are pretty tech savvy; more so than their parents.  This article points out that my assumption is clearly a dangerous one.  The internet opens kiddos up to the dangers of interacting with adults they don’t know in their own home.  While we don’t need to make children afraid of the internet, we do need to make sure that they understand and interact safely.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) put out a series of National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for administrators, coaches, computer science educators, teachers, and students.  The student standards (NETS-S) address six areas: creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts.

Considering the information Weeden and colleagues (2013) present, four of these standards apply to students and social media.

On the positive side, students (even young students) can use social media for communication and collaboration with peers, specifically to “Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media” as per standard 2a.  Social media also presents opportunities to “Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media” and “Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks” as per standards 3b and c, respectively.  Social media are communication tools that allow students to coordinate and interact with a diversity of people.  These interactions result in exchange of information that students must be able to evaluate and use ethically.

As young students are not physiologically and emotionally ready to always behave ethically using social media (i.e. cyberbullying), this is certainly an area that teachers and caregivers should address.  Additionally, the use of social media provides opportunities for students to practice digital citizenship and understand technology operations and concepts.  Standards 5 and 6 are summarized as “students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior” and “students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.”  These standards address exactly what Weedan and colleagues (2013) suggest regarding online safety awareness.

For young students, digital citizenship really means not fabricating an age to use social media sites before the age of thirteen.  However, as teachers cannot keep students from creating such accounts away from the school setting, they can help students share information legally and responsibly and understand that these technology systems are often public; information shared cannot be retrieved or erased.  Based on Weeden and colleagues’ (2013) findings, elementary teachers clearly need to pay attention to these standards, incorporating them into their daily curriculum.

Twitter Response: OR Project

At this point, I have learned nothing about my teaching style, but have certainly confirmed previous observations of my *working* style...

Personal Professional Development Goal

While this post is EXTREMELY late (I blame general exams), I shall share one of my professional development goals anyway.

I know web tools piecemeal and am aware of the Bloom's Taxonomy 2.0 diagram, but I need to familiarize myself with the kinds of web tools available to my students for learning and communication.  So, by this time next year, I will visit all of the sites on the Bloom's Taxonomy 2.0 graphic.

Every Friday, I will spend 30 minutes visiting one of the sites on the diagram.  Long-term, I will create an evaluation table with a very brief description of each program, its ease of use, and its applicability to a science classroom.

I know I will have been successful if I can look at this table and see information for all 50 sites!

Ertmer & Leftwich, 2010

Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. T. (2010). Teacher Technology Change: How Knowledge, Confidence, Beliefs, and Culture Intersect. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(3), 255–284.

Summary

            Ertmer and Leftwich (2010) suggest a shift in the definition of good teaching to include appropriate use of pedagogy. They encourage teachers to use technology as an essential tool of the trade rather than supplemental to traditional pedagogy.  Ertmer and Leftwich (2010) also recognize however, four areas where challenges may arise to effective technology integration for both preservice and inservice teachers.  These include technological knowledge and skill, self-efficacy regarding technology as an instructional tool, pedagogical beliefs, and school culture.  To overcome these challenges, the authors suggest giving teachers hands-on and vicarious experience with technology in small doses along with appropriate training in its use.  This training should also be specific to integrating technology into the classroom using higher-order thinking skills, pointing out gains in student learning with these techniques.  Finally, administrators need to support teachers in their use of technology by providing adequate resources and encouraging teachers as scholars, researchers, and lifelong learners.

Reflection

           

            I honestly don’t know what to say about this one.  Right now I’m stuck on the idea that we may soon lose a number of teachers across the nation, thanks to what seems to be a stuck society.

When considering that we aren’t spending enough to pay our teachers, making sure that technology is put to use in each and every classroom the way that Ertmer and Leftwich (2010) advocate seems trivial.  I agree with their general sentiment and ideas – in fact, the patterns and solutions the authors describe really seem associated with implementing any change, not just technology integration.

            Where I can’t go with Ertmer and Leftwich (2010) is their proposed change in the definition of good teaching to include appropriate use of higher-order technology.  I think that good teaching is timeless and separate from the context of the age.  If they would have said we should change the definition of best practices, I would likely agree; we’ve made significant advances in technology and should teach our students how to use that technology for something other than shopping.  But to say that good teaching depends on the use of technology, well…

One thing that did catch my attention was the specific application of technology, especially when encouraging teacher buy-in.  It definitely gave me a new perspective on our use of technology in class.  Being able to create audio, video, and wiki pages really doesn’t mean a lot if you can’t figure out how to actually use them to promote student learning.

Chapter 5: Teaching with Technology

Sandholtz, J. H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D. C. (1997). Redefining student and teacher roles (p. 76-88). Teaching with technology: creating student-centered classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Summary

            In a technology based classroom, the authors find that the roles of student and teacher begin to blur.  As students quickly become experts with the technology, they lead their classmates and even teachers in one-on-one instruction.  This expertise does not correlate with academic achievement however, as typically low achieving students often become classroom leaders.  Many teachers begin to shift their teaching styles to encourage this classroom partnership and even districts and businesses begin to realize the resource in older students.  The challenge comes however, in assessment.  There is a growing recognition that assessing student knowledge must change to accommodate collaborative learning and classroom leadership, rather than lower order content knowledge.

Reflection

           

            Adjusting to a collaborative classroom is difficult.  A few years ago, I co-designed and taught a science writing course.  Much of our time in class was about giving students time to engage with each other and work through class activities.  To be honest, it made me feel like I wasn't doing my job.  On the other hand, I wouldn't run the class any other way.  The same is true for workshops that I teach now – I really do try to give things over to the students instead of just telling.

            What are often also difficult in my classrooms are student expectations.  In the chapter, teachers identified new students as needing to adjust to a collaborative classroom.  In reality, most students are not accustomed to such a high level of partnership.  With standardized testing, they have learned to be really good listeners and test takers.  Many of my students are often uncomfortable with the level of freedom they are given; their preference is to have very clear and precise expectations.  While this is a challenge, it shouldn't be a roadblock.  As a college instructor, I am expected to prepare them for their career, which will not usually depend on them being a good student, but rather a good creator.

            One of the most amazing active learning classrooms I've seen is at the University of Minnesota.  I had the opportunity to meet with Robin Wright, a biology professor at Minnesota, and what she told me was dumbfounding.  The freshman biology course she teaches in this classroom has over 100 students in it.  Dr. Wright has stopped lecturing on things students can read in their book, instead relying on them to actually do the reading (there are quizzes as an incentive).  In the classroom of over 100 students learning is almost entirely project based, where the instructor presents questions or challenges and the students learn concepts by solving them.  This is revolutionary and the kind of classroom the authors talked about in this chapter.  In my mind, this is what most classrooms should start looking like.  That would be awesome!

This video was originally posted on vimeo by the University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences. 

Chapter 4: Teaching with Technology

Sandholtz, J. H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D. C. (1997). Managing a technology-rich classroom (p. 55-75). Teaching with technology: creating student-centered classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Summary

            As part of technology integration, there are several stages of technology concern within the classroom setting.  During entry, teachers cannot anticipate and thus are unprepared for student misbehavior with technology.  Additionally, many schools are not built to incorporate technology into the classroom and as such, managing physical space and software becomes difficult.  In the adoption phase, teachers integrate these experiences into their cognitive framework and can now anticipate and address problems.  This paves the way for technology to aid in other tasks during adaptation.  Given a new comfort level with technology, teachers begin to use it to increase efficiency in other areas of their classrooms and lives.  The authors indicate that movement through these phases is supported via professional development.  Given the new classroom context of multidimensionality, simultaneity, immediacy, and unpredictability, guiding teachers into a new type of classroom management is critical.

Reflection

           

            What grabbed my attention in this chapter was the paragraph linking classroom management and learning at the top of page 74.  Essentially, classroom management is a top predictor of student learning and if teachers cannot keep students engaged in learning because of a lack of classroom management, technology is useless. 

            It was this phrase that underscored the relevance of this chapter in today’s classroom.  The examples of floppies, laser disks, and 20 megabyte hard drives made me chuckle, but the concerns surrounding student attention, time on task, and cheating with technology are ever present in my current classroom.  More than ever, our classrooms are multidimensional, simultaneous, immediate, and unpredictable and  as one teacher pointed out, students remain students, regardless of the technology they use.  It is still our job to guide them into becoming responsible for their own learning.

            Technology has done wonders for discussion in my writing workshops this semester.  In classrooms where students won't speak, I can use tools that immediately (or almost so) allow me to know what everyone in the class is thinking and understanding.  I use Socrative on a regular basis so that students can contribute using their mobile devices.  Otherwise, I can’t even get a head nod out of them… “Does this follow an inductive structure?” I ask.  Silence and stillness… I often joke with them saying, “I guess I’m going to have to start a new open-ended question to get you guys to answer.  At least nod or shake your head!”

            At the same time, this wonderful technology often makes me feel like my students are distracted or not paying attention, especially when they choose to make my classroom include shopping or social interaction part of its multidimensionality.  I see them out of the corner of my eye, posting to Facebook or texting.  It makes me crazy, but at this point I ignore it figuring that the time it will take to call out that one student will disrupt the flow of the class more than the actual technology does.

            I may have to rethink this policy now that I realize how critical classroom management is for learning.  Of course, a better solution may be to rethink some of my teaching.  The more I put them to work with their technology, the less they are using it for off-task purposes.

Chapter 3: Teaching with Technology

Sandholtz, J. H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D. C. (1997). The evolution of instruction in technology-rich classrooms (p. 33-54). Teaching with technology: creating student-centered classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Summary

            Sandholtz, Ringstaff, and Dwyer (1997) outline the hopes for technology in the classroom while pointing out the complex nature of belief and instruction in K-12 education.  Taking into account the power of belief in moderating change, the authors describe a five-stage model of technology use.  Perhaps the largest hurdle to integrating new technology is entry.  This stage is rife with challenges and concerns, which as they are overcome, lead to adoption.  Now that technology has made it into the classrooms, teachers begin to learn how to use it and integrate it into their lesson plans.  This also is a stage filled with concerns and challenges as the technology is put into use and explained to outside parties.  Overcoming these somewhat rocky stages leads to adaptation, in which the technology becomes a normal part of everyday life in the classroom as a support for productivity rather than a hindrance.  As this normalcy extends to the teacher, the technology is appropriated and becomes part of personal life and new habits.  Finally, teachers and students enter invention, where the new technology is used to push the limits, creating new collaborations and partnerships within the classroom.

Reflection

           

            While this model was built to describe technology adoption, it can clearly be extended into other areas, like adoption of new standards (e.g., Common Core).  The power of belief is what stuck out to me most; its corollary being fear of the unknown.  Just like increasing self-efficacy, most of the support towards changing belief seems to be internal, focused on repeated positive interaction with the new technology.  However, training and verbal persuasion also seemed helpful, especially when that persuasion and encouragement came from university researchers (outside experts).

           

            What is discouraging is an apparent lack of change, even with technology.  It has been over 15 years since this book was written and partnering classrooms are still not the norm.  Nearly 10 years after the book was written, Mr. Winkle Wakes made its internet debut, decrying this lack of change.  Sandholtz, Ringstaff, and Dwyer’s (1997) point that education lacks specification (learning, teaching, standards) is perhaps still the drag on cultural inertia.  It takes a lot of force to make changes and we have a lot of baggage attached to our education system, whether K-12 or university.

            Still, there are many districts, schools, and teachers who are making great strides in creating partnering classrooms and integrating technology.  I look forward to their continued inventions that will further new belief systems within education.

Tweet Response: Free Professional Development

Given the ever-changing face of technology, self-teaching is a major adaptive skill.  Fortunately, the interwebs themselves have made this possible to an extent that I feel like Monica Dawson from Heroes.

(Relevant reference starts at 1:03.  Blogger is thwarting my efforts.)

Adaptive muscle memory aside, this is my sequence for learning how to use new technology, how to repair drywall, caulk bathtubs, replace gear shifters on bicycles, and fix washing machines.

STEP 1: Did it come with instructions?  In the case of technology, things like user manuals can be quickly downloaded from the company website, eradicating the need to figure out where you conveniently stored them.  Finding and reading through the manual is always a good idea.

STEP 2: Play with it.  Technology these days is pretty user-friendly and will prompt you several times if you are about to destroy your file/program/computer/the world.  Trust these failsafes and yourself.  Chances are, you’re not going to break it – just don’t choose something like your taxes, baby pictures, or dissertation to use as a sandbox.

STEP 3: Does it have a help button?  The help button, FAQ section, and similar is like a searchable user manual for your product.  If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, many help menus these days will provide a link to a message board or tech contact.

STEP 4: Ask the internet.  With the zillions of people creating e-content, chances are good that A) someone else has had the exact same problem/question as you and B) someone else has already fixed/answered it.  Be very precise with your Google searches – copy and paste your error message or refer to your exact model number.  Use quotes to zero in on what you’re looking for.  Just don’t be suckered into paying for or downloading something you don’t need.

STEP 5: Ask YouTube.  This is where the muscle memory thing comes in to play.  Just as there are people continually checking the pulse of multiple tech-related message boards, there are a myriad of people with webcams and screen capture software anticipating your needs.  YouTube has saved me literally hundreds of dollars because I could watch someone do something and then copy their expertise.  It hasn’t failed me yet.

STEP 6: Ask a live person.  Whether this is a student or a neighbor, sometimes the complexity of a task requires hands-on help.  There is no shame in this and most people are very happy to lend their expertise.  Just make sure they teach you and don’t just do for you.  For some technology, a live person is standing by to speak with you over the phone, in online chat, or by email.  Again, make use of these poor souls making minimum wage.  They are generally a kind and patient lot.

STEP 7: Take a class.  Believe it or not, this does not always require money.  Public libraries are great at offering computer training at no cost.  Norman Public Library currently offers everything from Really Basic PC to Finding Your Civil War Ancestors.  See their calendar for more details.

Bullying

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my reflections on a chapter about cyberbullying.  Fortunately, awareness and anti-bullying campaigns seem to have increased since my husband and I were children.  One of my cousins posted the following video to facebook, and I thought I'd share.

Video Editing Software

At the request of my professor, the version of video editing software I will be using is Windows Movie Maker version 5.1 (2007).

Woot.

Tweet Response: Common Core State Standards

                Common Core State Standards are a set of expectations for K-12 students in reading/writing and math.  The intent of CCSS is to integrate literacy and math into all subjects, since these are skills that are not inherently separate from other disciplines.  Rather, they are tools that students will need for learning in college classrooms, efficiency in their careers, and contributing to society as citizens.

                These expectations were not created nor mandated by the federal government.  Rather, they were developed by a coalition of states and adoption of the standards is up to each individual state.  Adoption of the standards are encouraged by the federal government, and incentive is offered through increased funding for schools.  To date, 48 states and several territories have adopted the CCSS.

                I know most about the writing/reading standards in the CCSS as my dissertation research focuses on science instructor self-efficacy (similar to confidence) in teaching science writing.  I have high hopes for the CCSS, but am concerned that science teachers will not implement science communication effectively.  At this point, many teachers express concern in two areas: lack of time and lack of expertise.  College professors express the same concerns and find students lacking in writing ability throughout their college career, typically blaming high school preparation for their inadequacies.

                The best place to learn more about the standards is the CCSS website.  The standards are very readable, although many teachers feel that they are not very specific.  What I appreciate most about the standards are the integration of technology and publication of student work.  Through Web 2.0 tools, these aspects of the standards open the door for increased partnering within schools, especially since the CCSS is focused on knowledge integration rather than knowledge retention.

Chapter 11: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Myers, J. J., McCaw, D. S., & Hemphill, L. S. (2011). Top ten rules that govern school authority over student cyber expressions. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (201-208). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Student speech is protected by the First Amendment, just as is all other public speech.  There are certain instances however, where schools may censor student speech, particularly if the speech is disruptive, interferes with learning, or is offensive.  Schools may also regulate when and where students express themselves when linked to school activities, especially if the speech is endorsed by the school or is of pedagogical concern.   Schools may also restrict student speech to educate students in social graces. The only time off-campus speech can be regulated by the school is if it is linked to the school or if a true threat has been made. 

Reflection

            The lines between on- and off-campus are increasingly blurred with internet access in classrooms and student accessibility to the web through their personal internet-ready devices.  The problem of cyberbullying and its reach into the sanctuaries of students apart from the schoolyard only adds to this blurring.  While seeking a balance between protection and panic, how do schools refrain from treading on student free speech rights?  We’ve come a long way from the original Tinker case, where students were suspended for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War.

I am reminded for instance, of JazReynolds, an OU football player who was suspended for an insensitive tweet.  At the time of the incident, it likely seemed that the indefinite suspension was perhaps an overreaction.  However, this example falls under rules 6 and 9 – as a player for a well-known college football team, Mr. Reynolds is likely to be viewed as an ambassador (and thus representing) the university.  Additionally, the nature of his tweet was definitely “inconsistent with the ‘shared values of a civilized social order’” (Myers, McCaw, & Hemphill, 2011, p. 202).

            Much of today’s student speech is less about politics, seeming to fall primarily under the auspices of civilized social order in the arena of social relationships.  This can lead to mistakes in communication that educators will often need to step in on.  When taking advantage of these teachable moments we need to keep in mind the rights of our students to express themselves and help them learn how to do so appropriately.

Chapter 10: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Hinduja, S. and Patchin, J. W. (2011). Preventing cyberbullying. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (167-199). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Cyberbullying is a serious phenomenon that affects individual students and school culture.  Teachers and parents need to establish clear rules and guidelines for using internet resources and monitor student computer use.  Education on netiquette, recognizing, avoiding, and responding to cyberbullying is also important.  Administrators need to also remain aware of school culture, including prevalence of cyberbullying through anonymous surveys to recognize and react to potential problems.  Educators are not alone in this arena; there are many online and community resources to aid in the prevention of cyberbullying.

Reflection

            As a teenager, the internet was still a budding technology.  It was not until my college days that social media like MySpace and instant messaging really took off.  As such, I never had much experience being cyberbullied, although I was once sexually assaulted online.  Remembering that incident and my inability to block or otherwise get rid of my assailant, I can see how a younger person could feel powerless in an online setting.  To further know and have to face your attackers in real life would certainly be very intimidating.

            In this regard, I was happy to see so many resources online aimed at combatting cyberbullying.  I checked out the National Crime PreventionCouncil and Anti-Defamation League specifically, both had very clear messages for parents, teachers, and students of various ages.  In a partnering school, these resources would be an excellent starting point for students to create their own content on preventing cyberbullying in their school.  One of the best resources for teachers was this simple table from the ADL:

 Even for adults, responding to bullying can be intimidating.  Having some responses handy is a huge help.  My husband was plagued by bullies as a child and one of his biggest frustrations, even today, was that his teachers did nothing and even went so far as to excuse the bullies’ behavior when my mother-in-law complained to the principal.  Bullying is never excusable and we as teachers need to be prepared to take action when we recognize it happening.

Chapter 9: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Bissonette, A. M. (2011). Policies, procedures, and contracts: Communicating expectations to teachers, students, and parents. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (151-166). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            To protect themselves, their employees, and their students, school districts need to establish acceptable use policies (AUPs), contracts that establish internet use rules and regulations.  When establishing an AUP districts need to collect data, solicit input, and draft and circulate the policy prior to approving and disseminating the new policy.  This technology policy needs to include consideration of legal risks, communication of boundaries, include stakeholder input, train users prior to implementation of technology, educate parents, and establish a chain of command for reporting incidents.

Reflection

            How can I, as an educator, best facilitate and not obstruct learning with technology?  It is very clear that AUPs are an important step in establishing clear guidelines, boundaries, and expectations for technology use in an educational setting.  However, how can I create a least restrictive learning environment that protects my students and me but still grants easy access to an entire world of knowledge?

            I often meet teachers who are frustrated with the lack of access they have because of stringent firewalls.  Many teachers have to plan in advance, clearing specific websites with their administrators to gain access.  With control this strict, it seems that students do not have an adequate opportunity to learn how to discriminate among sources.  Also, restricting student access to their cellphones seems to undermine some of the suggestions outlined in other chapters of this book.  I wonder where the line between reasonable protection and technopanic lies.

            That is not to say that the AUP is not important.  However, if we require that students keep their cellphones put away, are we hobbling their access to knowledge and learning?  Does allowing students to use cellphones at their discretion help to teach them how to balance phone time and people time?  On the other hand, if we allow students to use smart phones in class, can we still restrict what websites they visit? 

            I am facing this question right now, to be honest.  Tomorrow, I am implementing a HootCourse in my writing workshop to try and stimulate class participation.  I am hoping that by using the technology my students have at hand, I will be able to better engage them in the exercises, rather than watch them text away on their phones regardless.  Front row, left hand lab table, I’m talking to you…

Chapter 8: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Prensky, M. (2011). Assessment in the partnership pedagogy. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (139-148). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            In partnership classrooms, the goals and forms of assessment must be reconsidered.  Students need detailed feedback from teachers through formative assessment.  They also need measures that demonstrate improving upon their personal best along with self-assessment.  Peer assessment and real-world assessment also give student work meaning.  However, individual students are not the only ones that should be assessed in a partnering school; teachers, administrators, the school as a whole, and parents should also be assessed on how they are contributing to the learning process.

Reflection

            Prensky (2011) ends the chapter with the sentiment that a population adept with technology and full of entrepreneurship is likely more important than one where most have a ninth grade reading level and associate’s degree.  I followed the chapter to this point; considering multiple forms of assessment that enable partnering and mirror the real world seemed commonsense.  However, Prensky’s (2011) final thought reminded me of the myriad of Star Trek, Stargate, and other scifi episodes that show civilizations dependent upon a failing technology that no one knows how to fix.

            Without enough students engaged in science, engineering, technology, and math, our “increasingly complex digital machines” (Prensky, 2011, p. 148) will assuredly stagnate.  In addition, what good is technology and innovation when we no longer have natural resources and manufacturing is outsourced to other countries?  While I agree that international cooperation is preferred to raise standards of living and education for all children, the best way to do so may be to focus on our students at home, enabling them to become the innovators of tomorrow.

Chapter 3: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Schrum, L. & Levin, B. B. (2011). Strategic leadership: Encouraging and assessing technology integration. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (41-58). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            In education, change is often the only constant.  In addition to the changing faces of students within classrooms, new ideas, standards, and requirements are often being foisted onto teachers.  To avoid making technology a burden, administrators should understand levels of willingness to adopt innovation and the stages of concern teachers may have.  By forming professional learning groups and supporting innovators and early adopters in teacher leadership, administrators can appoint technology coordinators and form technology planning committees all in an effort to create technology-rich lessons that enrich student learning.

Reflection

            My experiences in science outreach have taught me that the best leaders of teachers are teachers.  From outside of education, solutions to problems seem ever so simple.  However, the old adage to “walk a mile in my shoes” certainly applies for teachers.  Partnering with teachers and learning about the challenges they face within their schools and classrooms began to open my eyes.

            When I completed my master’s degree, I was uncertain whether I should pursue a PhD in science or science education.  The message I heard from many professors was to go for science because picking up teaching ideas and language would be easy.  That route was not the right one for me, and fortunately I landed in science education despite the original detour.  Here, I am learning that teaching is not as easy as everyone thinks.  It is a science unto itself.

            Once again I feel like I face a crossroads.  Soon I hope to apply for an education director job with a STEM outreach program.  At the same time, I am aware that several science teacher positions are opening in local high schools soon.  I have been encouraged to apply for both positions.  Considering that the best leaders of teachers are teachers, will I be better prepared to work with K-12 teachers after having been one?  Or, have I been teaching and leading all along?

Playing around with educreation

So, I got my hands on an iPad during my friend's action center and made this:

http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/science-by-carrie/4358677/?s=oofrzx&ref=app

Crazy fun.

Ideas for my audio project

My goal for this course is to use these web tools to connect with students in the Geology Department and teachers in the local school district.

Having said that, I might record audio files to help teachers know how to pronounce rock and mineral names.  However, it just occurred to me that I might get more student volunteers if they have a stronger link to the teachers and students that they would be working with.

Therefore, I am considering audio files of students talking about their geological understandings or experiences with geology volunteers.  That might get everyone's attention!

Chapter 7: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Langer de Ramirez, L. (2011). Why use Web 2.0 tools with ELLs? In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (129-138). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Web 2.0 tools allow students to find and create information alone and with others.  For English Language Learners (ELL), these tools extend opportunities for practice beyond school hours and provide anonymity for students uncomfortable communicating in front of their peers.  Consistent with goals outlined for Partnership for 21^st Century Skills and TESOL Standards, web tools integrate social communication, academic communication, and technology skills for all students.  Understanding how to communicate safely on the internet is a subject belonging in schools.  Technopanic should thus be kept under control so as not to create a barrier to learning with technology, disenfranchising digital native students.

Reflection

            When I taught BioWriting several semesters ago, my co-instructor and I required that our students keep a blog, updating at least three times a week.  Our purpose was to follow the advice of many established writers – to write, write, and write.  We had several ELL students in the course and at the time, I did not consider how the assignment might be of particular benefit to them.  While their blog posts were never long, I learned things about my ELL students that rarely spoke in class.  One student in particular had this to say in his blog Derek cannot write:

This is the last blog required in the class and probably the last one forever. Look back what I wrote here and find most things I talked are stupid and boring. I can't say my writing improved a lot in the past few months. But I am sure that I can express my feelings more fluently now. Maybe the word I chose is not the best in certain cases. Maybe the grammar still has some problems. Maybe not everybody can understand what I rambled here. But I am still proud of what I achieved and accomplished. (Derek)

Me too.

Chapter 5: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Parker, J. K. (2011). Understanding youth and digital media. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (79-91). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Current definitions of literacy and knowledge do not necessarily apply considering new media and digital technologies.  Likewise, the conception that technology is making students less intelligent is false.  Student use of technology is complex and interwoven into their learning and socializing in addition to their play.  Teachers should consider collaborative, creative, peer-driven learning to create new media classrooms.  These attitudes and practices are central to integrating technology for effective learning as technologies alone will not suffice.  

Reflection

            Integrating new technology into my classroom is a challenge.  I am divided between wanting to maintain the undivided, rapt attention of my students and wanting to connect to their world, engaging their thinking through technologies central to their lives.  As a writing consultant and science communicator, I often bridge a gap between traditional forms of communication and the new, 140-character, speed of light transactions of knowledge and experience.  Science needs an image update; a goal shared by the National Science Foundation and Alan Alda’s Center for Communicating Science.

            While working with a group teachers, I pleaded with them to stop making their students write lab reports in passive voice.  “No!” one of my teachers gasped, “That’s what I fight with them about.”  This is not uncommon; we are trapped by the forms and formats of an earlier age, when journal articles themselves were a new technology.  The struggle now is not to perpetuate minutia, but to focus on the higher-order concerns.  For my teachers, the thing to fight for is that students make a clear claim, supported with evidence and reasoning.  Our goal is student learning, the understanding of concepts rather than the mechanics of assignments.

Chapter 4: Educational Technology for School Leaders

November, A. (2011). Emerging roles within the knowledge community. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (59-76). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            November advocates connecting education with reality through collaboration and technology.  Rather than finding and learning every new app or program available, teachers should pay attention to what their students know about and can do with emerging technologies.  Teachers can also expand their classrooms to include colleagues, student peers, and experts from around the world.  By making connections globally and locally, teachers can give their students meaningful projects that will give purpose to and stimulate learning.  This is by no means a simple task, as many students are accustomed to a passive role in the classroom, and teachers themselves face uncertainties when encouraging and incorporating more and more technology into their classrooms.

Reflection

             I always sniffed at the idea of a digital native; I mean, I remember when our modern technology really took off and I’m pretty darn good at adapting to it. (Unless of course, we are talking about making a switch from cassette tapes to CDs, VHS to DVD, or Office 2003 to Office 2010.)  November gave me a reality check however, when he included the E-Venture Dino Documentary in his article (pg. 64-65).  While working on life science curriculum for K-5, I kept figuring that students would record their thoughts and ideas using crayon and paper… those who can’t quite write can draw.  Clearly I am being narrow-minded in this regard.  These students would make excellent documentaries, especially for a live-animal focused curriculum!

            November also reinforced the idea of teaching through problem-solving.  I wonder how effective the client approach would be for lower elementary students.  He clearly gives evidence of fourth grade students responding to this kind of prompt (pg. 74).  How young will this extend?

Chapter 2: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Kelly, F. S., McCain, T. & Jukes, I. (2011). No more cookie-cutter high schools. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (25-40). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Kelly, McCain, and Jukes make it abundantly clear that change is here and it is not going away.  High schools are not sufficiently meeting the needs of students and all involved in the design and vision of high schools need to make some fundamental shifts.  The authors advocate a business model of education that is able to keep up with changing communities and technologies.  This type of plan requires planning, patience, and perseverance.  All parties involved with education need to be part of the process and negative reactions to change should be expected.  However, by designing flexibility into the educational system – structurally and pedagogically – schools will be more ready to prepare students for an unimaginable future.

Reflection

            I have never been comfortable with the students-as-customers idea.  In higher education, there is always chatter about entitled students who believe that trying hard merits an “A.”  However, I am willing to ask a difficult question: would students act less entitled if we were meeting their academic needs?

            As a writing consultant, I often have students who want to hand me their paper for me to fix.  One of my biggest struggles is finding ways to help them learn strategies to revise and edit their own work.  It is very easy to slip into a didactic mode of consulting, rather than a partnership.  My goal in Geology and Geophysics is to create a myriad of opportunities for students to improve their writing, which I think is in the spirit of Kelly et al.’s exhortations.  For instance, I am in the process of creating a D2L resource page for graduate students and faculty, establishing a graduate student writing group for long-term, mutual support, and am open for students to work with me personally during office hours.  

Chapter 1: Educational Technology for School Leaders

Prensky, M. (2011). Partnering: A pedagogy for the new educational landscape. In Schrum, L. (Ed.), The best of Corwin: Educational technology for school leaders (3-23). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Summary

            Prensky redefines classroom roles in this chapter, encouraging partnering to learn, rather than direct instruction.  Students in school today do not learn and interact with the world as previous generations; we cannot teach them the same way we ourselves were taught.  These students are accustomed to using technology to find information quickly and on the move, they do not have the patience to sit still and absorb what we impart.

            Thus, we must reconsider the roles of students and teachers in the classroom.  Partnering teachers pose questions and establish parameters, guiding students toward finding and integrating information.  Partnering students are researchers, making use of technology to self-teach and create, often changing the world around them.  Teachers and students are not the only members of such a partnership; administrators and parents must also understand and support such partnering measures.

Reflection

            A little over a week ago, I listened to Mark Morvant talk about this very subject.  In many ways, his presentation was like watching a prophecy manifest.  Several years ago, I (by chance) observed a class discussion on the purpose of education.  The instructor reviewed benchmarks in technology and teacher responses from Ancient Greece projected into the far future.  Like our chapter and Dr. Morvant’s talk, his message was to avoid obsolescence education must be about teaching creativity rather than dissemination of information.

Amazing Technology

I am taking the opportunity to launch my new blog during my Teaching with Technology Course.  As you will see, technology is a great way to bring creativity into the classroom.