As a technology integration specialist, it feels really good to have a resource that I can use with teachers to help set learning goals and plan lessons.
http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php
This is a great resource that I will be using in the near future.
As a technology integration specialist I wish I could say that I was in the Transformation section for each Characteristic of the Learning Environment. Unfortunately I cannot. After careful evaluation and taking a hard look at my previous teaching experience, I found that my comfort zone falls under the Adaptation section. With each characteristic I found myself shaking my head and checking off the different indicators within the Adaptation section.
As I look to next school year, I know that in my position I will need to work towards building lessons that fall within the Infusion and Transformation. I am in charge of running a student tech squad. Part of the class is managing our 1:1 devices while the other part focuses on computer maintenance and repair. I am not always available to teach the lessons face-to-face so I need to develop a system where the students can learn in an independent environment and then consult with me for questions and feedback. The resource provided above will be a huge asset as it shows example lessons. My biggest hurdle has always been the inability to visualize what these lessons look like.
As I develop a plan of action I'm thinking of starting small and using student feedback to guide my decisions. If I can develop a few short lessons for my tech squad students this year, I can assess the use of Infusion and Transformation. I'm hoping that these experiences will help develop larger lessons I can then use as examples for my building teachers.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Teachers, Take Down That Wall!
Before I simply dive into all the great things a blended/online course could provide for certain students, let's take a look at some of the resistant type language I often encounter when the subject is brought up. I'll use those comments almost like a dialogue to show how the negative perspective to blended/online learning may come from a place of naivete or a reluctance to see the bigger picture of what these programs could provide to some students.
Barrier toward e-learning:
I just don't think students would learn as well from a computer as they would from face-to-face interaction with a teacher.
Barrier removed:
Let me preface this with the fact that I was skeptical of online courses at first. It took a lot of evidence to convince me that online courses could be as effective as a traditional course. I started to adjust my thinking when I looked at it from the angle of preparation and oversight. Would a student learn effectively in a brick-and-mortar environment if the class was poorly planned and ineffectively monitored? The answer is obviously no. It works the same for blended/online courses. As long as the course is setup in a thoughtful and rigorous manner and the e-teacher monitors the participating students comprehensively the learning experience will be authentic and rich. Providing students with a variety of learning opportunities allows us to reach more students and gives those students who may have special circumstances more resources to achieve.
Barrier toward e-learning:
Students need the social interaction that a traditional classroom offers.
Barrier removed:
As in the first comment, many people are quick to generalize our students and assume that they all need to be exposed to the same type of learning experiences. The fact is, a blended/online course should provide opportunities for all types of social interaction. The concept of digital communication is nothing new to today's students. Many of them participate in a variety of social networks or forums. I would venture to say that some students may be more expressive and interactive with their peers in an online environment than a brick-and-mortar environment. The key is identifying the type of student who would benefit the most from an online learning experience. We have to be careful not to lump every student together.
Barrier toward e-learning:
Online courses are eventually going to replace the traditional classroom and teachers in general. This another way for superintendents to save money and pay less teachers.
Barrier removed:
I can understand the fear that online curriculum brings to educators. Especially if the state government continues to expand the number of students each e-teacher is responsible for. However, if I know educators, I know we are two things. We are great at adapting and we are great at making our voices heard. First, I would encourage today's teachers to educate themselves on e-learning and begin identifying which of their students may benefit from an online course or two. Also, I would encourage them to advocate for strict oversight and specific guidelines when it comes to rigor, oversight, and student-to-teacher ratios. I would hope the goal is not to shift every student into an online environment, but rather selectively identify those students who need this resource the most.
Barrier toward e-learning:
I just don't think students would learn as well from a computer as they would from face-to-face interaction with a teacher.
Barrier removed:
Let me preface this with the fact that I was skeptical of online courses at first. It took a lot of evidence to convince me that online courses could be as effective as a traditional course. I started to adjust my thinking when I looked at it from the angle of preparation and oversight. Would a student learn effectively in a brick-and-mortar environment if the class was poorly planned and ineffectively monitored? The answer is obviously no. It works the same for blended/online courses. As long as the course is setup in a thoughtful and rigorous manner and the e-teacher monitors the participating students comprehensively the learning experience will be authentic and rich. Providing students with a variety of learning opportunities allows us to reach more students and gives those students who may have special circumstances more resources to achieve.
Barrier toward e-learning:
Students need the social interaction that a traditional classroom offers.
Barrier removed:
As in the first comment, many people are quick to generalize our students and assume that they all need to be exposed to the same type of learning experiences. The fact is, a blended/online course should provide opportunities for all types of social interaction. The concept of digital communication is nothing new to today's students. Many of them participate in a variety of social networks or forums. I would venture to say that some students may be more expressive and interactive with their peers in an online environment than a brick-and-mortar environment. The key is identifying the type of student who would benefit the most from an online learning experience. We have to be careful not to lump every student together.
Barrier toward e-learning:
Online courses are eventually going to replace the traditional classroom and teachers in general. This another way for superintendents to save money and pay less teachers.
Barrier removed:
I can understand the fear that online curriculum brings to educators. Especially if the state government continues to expand the number of students each e-teacher is responsible for. However, if I know educators, I know we are two things. We are great at adapting and we are great at making our voices heard. First, I would encourage today's teachers to educate themselves on e-learning and begin identifying which of their students may benefit from an online course or two. Also, I would encourage them to advocate for strict oversight and specific guidelines when it comes to rigor, oversight, and student-to-teacher ratios. I would hope the goal is not to shift every student into an online environment, but rather selectively identify those students who need this resource the most.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Technology: An all too often overused buzzword
It's my blog and I'll post if I want to...
If there ever was a word in education that has been so overused yet so misunderstood over the years it would be the word TECHNOLOGY. Before the introduction of the internet in schools, discussions about technology were only heard faintly coming from the table of Star Trek fans fantasizing about the day when everyone will have a hand held computer they can use to access just about anything. Guess what, that day has arrived, and now the discussion around technology has reached a fever pitch so loud it can no longer be ignored. Not even the most hardened traditionalist, who swears by his transparencies, scan-trons, and Ticonderoga #2 pencils can ignore the swirling cries to upgrade to a 21st century learning model. However, I caution administrators or school leadership teams who think technology is going to revolutionize their classrooms.
There are some who think merely providing students access to technology is what is going to prepare them to be 21st century learners. Access to the internet and a device in every student's hand will not magically create a 21st century learning environment for students or teachers. The hardened traditionalist will simply replace his transparencies with PowerPoint slides, his scan-tron for online multiple-guess assessments, and his trusty #2 pencil with a mouse. Too often administrators see students using technology and assume its all good. In addition, teachers who have great teaching strategies, but who may not be technologically inclined are being forced to adopt these new technologies, and in some cases, having to sacrifice the integrity of their teaching philosophy.
Implementing technology among the school districts has become a situation of keeping up with the Jones'. "Our neighboring district just implemented iPads, we need to get our hands on some of those." Or, god forbid, "The neighboring districts just implemented iPads and we bought Androids." Wha wha wha! My point is, all too often, the conversation revolves around what device should we purchase or what software should we buy. The conversation needs to start with what teachers have the most effective teaching strategies. Using those strategies, what technologies could be integrated to enhance learning and engagement even more. Providing students with a tool to surf the web and type a paper is a good tool, but it hardly prepares them for the 21st century work environment. I believe technology integration would be much more effective if we rewarded those teachers who are already using effective strategies and letting the excitement and buzz around technology build from within. This strategy allows the learning to grow from the best seeds in the best soil rather than throwing the seeds out and hoping some of them will sprout.
If there ever was a word in education that has been so overused yet so misunderstood over the years it would be the word TECHNOLOGY. Before the introduction of the internet in schools, discussions about technology were only heard faintly coming from the table of Star Trek fans fantasizing about the day when everyone will have a hand held computer they can use to access just about anything. Guess what, that day has arrived, and now the discussion around technology has reached a fever pitch so loud it can no longer be ignored. Not even the most hardened traditionalist, who swears by his transparencies, scan-trons, and Ticonderoga #2 pencils can ignore the swirling cries to upgrade to a 21st century learning model. However, I caution administrators or school leadership teams who think technology is going to revolutionize their classrooms.
There are some who think merely providing students access to technology is what is going to prepare them to be 21st century learners. Access to the internet and a device in every student's hand will not magically create a 21st century learning environment for students or teachers. The hardened traditionalist will simply replace his transparencies with PowerPoint slides, his scan-tron for online multiple-guess assessments, and his trusty #2 pencil with a mouse. Too often administrators see students using technology and assume its all good. In addition, teachers who have great teaching strategies, but who may not be technologically inclined are being forced to adopt these new technologies, and in some cases, having to sacrifice the integrity of their teaching philosophy.
Implementing technology among the school districts has become a situation of keeping up with the Jones'. "Our neighboring district just implemented iPads, we need to get our hands on some of those." Or, god forbid, "The neighboring districts just implemented iPads and we bought Androids." Wha wha wha! My point is, all too often, the conversation revolves around what device should we purchase or what software should we buy. The conversation needs to start with what teachers have the most effective teaching strategies. Using those strategies, what technologies could be integrated to enhance learning and engagement even more. Providing students with a tool to surf the web and type a paper is a good tool, but it hardly prepares them for the 21st century work environment. I believe technology integration would be much more effective if we rewarded those teachers who are already using effective strategies and letting the excitement and buzz around technology build from within. This strategy allows the learning to grow from the best seeds in the best soil rather than throwing the seeds out and hoping some of them will sprout.
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