Journal 8…. Learning & Leading with Technology

“WEB 2.0 Today’s Technologies, Tomorrow’s Learning”
By Jennifer Groff and Jason Haas

MIT’s Education Arcade is researching and developing the potential of using more video games and other such technologies in the classroom. Teachers are resistant to the uses and have labeled them as disruptive, but the MIT team says they can introduce such devices in away that make sense. These technologies can actually bridge the gap in traditional scholastic culture and the culture of today’s learners. The motivation behind such development is based on the student centered classroom. They have reported students’ critical learning skills are more engaged and they learn deeper conceptual knowledge in real-world experiences.

1. What are some of the technologies I can use in the classroom?

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  Digital simulations of real-world situations are and ideal way for the students to get hands on experience that they would not be afforded in the real world. I.e. studying the human circulatory system is not possible in the real world.
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  “Starlogo TNG”, allow students to create simulations and games with easy to-use programming blocks. Then they can demonstrate the principle of evolution or factors of a forest fire… concepts that would be hard for students to experience.
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  Diplomacy is a game that has a scenario in which students must respond to (such as the political causes of WWI as found in Diplomacy.) Students learn the reasons, but they learn to negotiate and be mindful of how their actions impact others.

2. What are some strategies for success? How are teachers getting over some of the speed bumps on the road to using these technologies?

The author suggests teachers to explore, partner with colleague and find additional support resources. Teachers should just play with these technologies. Take chances and find out what they are capable of. Try them with other teachers. Share notes of new found capabilities and develop a support group. Bounce ideas off each other. Attend workshops and conferences. Look for support from Web resources. Do not be afraid of change and accept there will be a learning curve.

Journal 7#... The Journal
“Free At Last” by Jennifer Demski, free lance writer

“You can’t use technology as the foundation. If you do not know where you’re going, adding technology just helps you get nowhere faster.” I agree with that statement. Teachers must have a goal or teaching standard in mind when doing a lesson plan. The iCal calendar which allows districts to place schedules or mapping for each grade gives a time line for when standards should be taught. Concepts appear on the calendar as hyperlinks that take the teacher to a Wiki. Once there, they will find the standardized curriculum calendar and the availability of materials necessary to meet the teaching standard for the grade they choose.

Standards based design is the most important organizational criteria for the downloading of materials. The Wiki has the flexibility to change as state requirements change affording the districts the ability to stay current with the ever changing teaching standards, thus eliminating huge binders.

The author explains in the article that teachers are free from printed textbook documents. It is not digital textbooks, they are excited about, but instead information streams that allow teachers to download and tailor materials in a dynamic interactive ways. The district says, “A Launch Point for Creativity” which allows teachers to build a resource library. The need arose when textbooks were not fitting the standards in education. Each one may contribute to the information and all may have access to appropriate materials for each standard.

!. How can a Wiki page be used? I was wondering how a Wiki site could help me or be used in the classroom. The trouble I had with formatting made me wonder if it would be a burden to me in the classroom. Based on the article it can house numerous support tools, such as links to other educational streams, support platforms for inexperienced teachers, and easy the hunt for appropriate materials. After reading the article I would use the Wiki for the classroom.

2. How can “ical” calendar benefit the teacher or school district?
As an organizer and communicator ical calendar would be welcomed in my classroom. It can make sure teachers are following what is expected of the and at what stage or during the year. To be able to keep educational standards and expectations together in a time line or calendar is an imaginative way to achieve state standards communication. It sure is easier than reading a huge binder that may or may not have current information in it. The other use is to be able to map the moon or plot the moon or astrological signs. Many multicultural events can be viewed by just clicking and downloading ical calendars. I see many creative uses for this.

Journal 5 – Forbes Magazine

“Can You Hear Me Now?” by Sherry Terkle

“Can You Hear Me Now” is an article which is a play on words that basically asks if we are listening. In it, the author discusses a number of issues pivoting around web technologies, BlackBerry, animations, among others. And we are becoming so immersed with these technologies that we are not aware of potential consequences it may have for future generations.

The author touches on a number of vexing philosophical issues. The realm of the web has replaced many of our face-to-face social interactions to short, written messages via “texting” or emails. I believe this could have dire consequences affecting social skills, specifically, conflict resolution and tolerance for others. The author raises many deep concerns and makes me wonder if the public is aware of how it is slowly taking over our lives. It’s starting to remind me of something from a “sci-fi” movie.

I agree with the author’s premise that the use of these new gadgets is getting in the way of the very thing it is supposed to encourage: more time. Instead of making life simpler, it is tethering us to the very things we are trying to get a break from. Here is a quote from the Internet I found intriguing as it relates to the author’s point:
“BlackBerry 8800 series smartphones ensures that you stay connected to work, life and everything in between. Catch up with family using email, phone or instant messaging,”
I also agree that teens, especially, are becoming so dependant on their BlackBerries and I-pods they can’t stop using them, even in the classrooms. Not only are these gadgets distractions to teachers and other students, they become such an obsession that the student-user is unable to focus in class.

I had several reflections while I read the author’s article. The scariest for me was the realization of how withdrawn from social contact some people are becoming. By creating virtual realities they also create alter egos where they can be anything they want to be. I think we all need a place or a sanctuary to escape and recharge our batteries. But, when things get out of balance, these people are not able to separate fantasy from reality, which creates chances for trouble. Some teens spend so much time playing video games that they actually think they can do anything without having consequences.

1. Why do I think multi-user domains are not healthy?
A reality where you are always the “winner” and everything goes your way creates a spoiled child and a “ME-based” society. I may be assuming the pessimistic side of the issue, but Americans have been criticized by other cultures for being a “me-centered” society. I believe technologies which permit people to escape into themselves will only encourage that tendency towards “Me” mentality. There is nothing wrong with using our imagination, but to create an ultra ego to represent who we are is akin to a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. It gives people practice at not being responsible for lives they ruin or the people they hurt. Also, it creates action junkies. Users are not satisfied with real-life events but, rather, they must create drama to feel fulfilled. A healthy imagination is great, but it must be balanced by reality.
2. What can be done to counter act this craze toward social alienation?
In schools and the classroom, teachers can counter-balance this trend by involving students in more social interacting. One of the most valuable skills to teach is conflict resolution. To be truly happy, one must learn these skills early in life and learn to maintain good, healthy relationships. Being involved with them as a teacher and setting a good example are two things a teacher can and should do. I believe the classroom should not be taken over by technology. I may be a little old fashioned, but social skills are taught through interactions with one another, not with life-less computers.

Journal 6: Learning & Leading with Technology

“Mapping Students Minds” by Owen, A.

In my quest to discover what Intel had to offer me as a future teacher, I discovered elementary school students, as well as older students, can benefit from casual mapping in the classroom. It offers them the ability to take in a visual representation of cause-and-effect relationships. I viewed the demonstration from Intel’s website and saw how easily information in the dialogue boxes can be changed. This makes its use in casual mapping ideal for elementary students, but more complex relationships can be mapped as well, making it suitable for older and more sophisticated students. As the student’s thinking evolves, so can evidence and explanations. Ranking of evidence lets them see more clearly the relationship between cause and effect, plus they can obtain hands-on practice of adding and eliminating evidence. Then ranking the evidence allows them to evaluate their evidence and decide whether it is relevant. This process facilitates the exchange of ideas These are tools I wish teachers had when I was a child and in school. The author and others have proclaimed these tools have the power to encourage development of meta-cognitive skills (thinking about thinking). The program is quite easy to use and supports a number of different learning styles. The best part?…..it’s free!

“WISE” is a no-cost, on-line environment to help support students in science education. Part of the on-line environment is “TELS” which is a wonderful support arena for middle- and high school students: Not only does it support teaching standards in life science, physical science, and earth science for middle school, it also has the ability to satisfy the standards in biology, chemistry, and physics for high school. The Teacher’s PET (Portal and Educator’s Toolbox) keeps teachers in the loop and allows them to be active participants. Using features like project library, project editor (where they can customize project requirements), and management tools, they can view, assess, and provide feedback and support online.

1. How can “TELS” support students in the classroom?
In the program are several tools students can use to support their educational experience: There are activities and questions incorporated in the learning modules…i.e. if they are working on the theory of evolution a question could be…”What is variation?” Then an interactive…let’s create an experiment…what will happen? … Experiment…finally what happen? “Hints” are provided as they move through a lesson. These hints help keep the students focused. Notes allow students to reflect. Interactive visualization and simulations are built into the software.

2. How would I use the visual mapping in the classroom?
I would tend to use the suggestion from the website, whereby subjective topic lists “sparks” reasoning and dialogue between students. Also, picking controversial topics would stimulate students to engage in a dialogue. Here, the process is more important than correct answers. The authors state, “Students get the most out of this tool when working within groups of two.” I agree. Students have the opportunity to practice interpersonal skills and conflict resolution, and being in a team gives them practice in compromise.

Journal 4 - The Journal
“Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Bog”
By Patricia Deubel, Ph.D

The author asks the question, “What are the rules of engagement” in the use of class blogs? She answers by telling the reader how she would organize, and what: standards, goals, and skills she would emphasize. The most important part is to ask questions that match the lesson with content knowledge standards and strategies you are trying to teach. She also says to limit how long discussion responses should be. I agree everyone must participate, and the penalties for not doing so should be steep. I would have students research and write, and essay with many pages. I also believe that the Internet learning is great! Students can participate without being over shadowed by the classroom “know-it-alls”. Those who are shy or timid or unsure of themselves can now have a voice!

1. Should there be only two questions? The author would only have two questions at a time. I believe this is a great management suggestion, but I would have at least four questions and similar to the author I would limit the number of words in the responses. This would be great practice in the organization of thoughts.
I would have four questions and they must respond to at least two questions. If they answered more, they earn extra credit. Another mandatory requirement would be for them to respond to 3 different students each week.

2. How can I use the author’s suggestions in the classroom? I would incorporate the author’s suggestions of providing posting guidelines, open ended question, moderating the content and wordiness of the responses. I would make sure they understood ethics and credibility in their publishing. I would use “BlogMeister” to create a class blog. I would make questions relevant to class content, and teaching ethics by setting the rules for using others ideas. I would set up an ethics committee and the students would draw up a contractual agreement and all are to sign and agree to the terms. If one of them is found violating the agreement they would be penalized in some way that is agreeable. I think twitter would serve this purpose just fine since students would learn critical thinking skills and understand how to get their point across more efficiently.
Finally I would engage the students and stimulate their minds by asking opened questions and not criticizing their efforts no matter how far off base they may be. The point is to get them to think critically and practice using words. I do not mean they are permitted to ramble off topic, Responses should be on topic.
I like the suggestion of quoting student responses and I will certainly incorporate this in my class format.

Journal 3 – Learning & Leading with Technology
“Too Cool for School? No Way!”
By Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler


The authors believe there is the looming possibility that technology will alter the fundamental course of education for teachers and students. I particularly enjoyed the introductory cartoon in this article because it illustrates graphically how a teacher can overly fret about the new technologies coming about in the school classroom. However, the simple realization for a teacher is that there are good ways to incorporate these technologies into the educational arena. Re-purposing of the “gadgets”, as they are called, is possible, but teachers need to dig deeper and understand more than data-entry know-how and simple program manipulation. They must also understand the nuances of these technologies or, you might say, the ins-and-outs of each gadget’s potentials and problems. A true understanding of and the ability to transcend the common educational model are required. “Technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge” (TPACK) framework is the key to the ability to achieve this in the classroom.
I adhere to authors’ tenet that technology will alter education for teachers and students, as well. The future belongs to new generations and, if they have their way, more and more uses will be realized for these exciting new gadgets.
As the author of the article “Social Networking” would attest, there are new and innovative uses of technology realized every day in the school environment. All teachers need to do is harness its power, but they must also be able to understand how technology can enhance the pedagogy and content knowledge requirements of teaching.
It is a known fact that students will be more motivated if they are being taught things in which they are interested. If the educational environment is personalized to fit their generation then they will be more motivated and engaged in the learning process. The authors said, “Teaching requires the transformation of content in ways that make it intellectually accessible to students.” They are not there just to play with the new tools.

1. What is “TPACK” and how does its framework relate to the classroom?
“TPACK” is an acronym for technology, pedagogical and content knowledge, and it is a model of an “expert” teacher. A teacher is considered an “expert” if he/she understands these three knowledge bases and merges them in creative ways so as to achieve “dynamic equilibrium.” The TPACK teacher is flexible, finds solutions to complex dynamic problems, and adapts information to their special classroom challenges. They use each of the three naturally and, if one changes, they are able to instinctively adapt. Curricular and pedagogical decisions are always at the heart of the way they teach.
How its framework relates to the to classroom: Teachers must understand how to re-purpose gadgets. They must be creative and understand with fluency how technology, pedagogical, and content knowledge work together to form appropriate uses for these gadgets in the classroom.

2. What are the new gadgets and how are they used in the classroom?
· Microblogging (twitter): It is used to supplement classroom discussions. Students are limited to 140 characters or less. I believe this will enhance critical thinking because students learn to self-edit and are practicing the skill of clear and concise communication.
· Specialized visual search engines, such as Viewzi, Cuil, and Clusty: These search engines differ from Google’s text-based returns in that they return distinct visual icons or “tag clouds.” These search engines are “meta search” tools, meaning they send the search request to several search engines and/ or databases and then it filters and groups results into several distinct interfaces like a photo album. Viewzi is my favorite and I am quite excited about using it in the classroom and my own learning experience.
· Cuil: It is an old Irish word for knowledge, and it groups information on topics in a cluster or photo album too. Clicking on images will lead to other website and information pages.
· Clusty: It is a “clustering search engine” by clustering similar themes into a folder instead of scattering them throughout the list. Students using this learn the art of language manipulation and contextual relationships.