EdTech & Innovation

Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Teachers

Using EdTech to assess small group instruction

A panel discussion with the teachers of Richardson ISD in Richardson, Texas

PANELISTS:

Caroline Canessa, Merriman Park Elementary, 5th Grade Reading-Language Arts

Leah Janoe, Dover Elementary, 5th Grade Math

Ashley Scott, White Rock Elementary, 3rd Grade

Jennifer Looney, Wallace Elementary, 3rd Grade

Alyson Hollon, Dover Elementary, 6th Grade Science

 

For those who may not know, can you elaborate on what your state standards ask teachers to assess in terms of small group discussions?

Jennifer Looney: According to our third grade standards, students should be involved in teacher-led and student-led discussions.

Leah Janoe: Students should participate in small-group discussions by asking questions and answering questions appropriately, which includes answering the question thoroughly, giving enough detail, and most importantly helping the conversation build and continue through their input.

Ashley Scott: We’re also asked to determine if students can use proper verb tense and grammar through discussions with peers.

 

Why is it challenging for teachers to monitor small group discussions?

Alyson Hollon: The biggest challenge with small group discussions or team collaborations is being able to monitor each group’s discussions at once, so that any misconceptions are addressed.

Caroline Canessa: This area of teaching can be very challenging! Often times it is hard to know whether or not student conversations or focus on the task at hand, or completely off the mark. Also, students may pretend to be on task while the teacher is near, but then return to being off task as soon as the teacher leaves the area.

Jennifer Looney: Small groups are often spread out all over the class, so it is hard for a teacher to have the time to engage with all groups. It is also a challenge to talk to one group while also monitoring behavior in a group across the room.

 

RISD has found and is trying out a tool that allows teachers to monitor several discussions all at once. Can you tell us about it?

Ashley Scott: The Flexcat system comes with two teacher microphones and remotes, one large speaker, and six individual speaker pods. The microphones can be used to project your voice out of the large speaker or out of individual pods. The remote controls the volume of your voice. You can use your normal talking voice and it does a wonderful job making it louder for all students to hear. With the pods I can control which group I would like to speak to directly. The microphone comes with an earpiece, which allows for you to listen through the pod to that group. You can turn on the pod without the students knowing and listen. Students can also use the call button on their pod and speak to the teacher through their pod.

Jennifer Looney: The speaker pods allow you to have ears all over the classroom. From working with a small group at my teacher table, I can tell what a group in the hallway is discussing and talk to them directly to refocus them without interrupting precious teaching time.

 

How has the Flexcat changed the way you run your classroom?

Leah Janoe: The Flexcat allows me to hear students’ natural conversations with each other, especially when I can listen in and hear how students are explaining a concept to each other. As a math teacher, I can listen in and see what steps students are verbalizing during group work and help clear up misconceptions in that manner. With the ability to project my voice using the main speaker, I’ve noticed that my students can actually hear my from any point in the room without me having to yell while teaching.

Ashley Scott: My kids are highly motivated to share their thinking and “be the teacher” up at the front of the class wearing the microphone. I can also send a student into a breakout room with a pod to finish work or make up a test. I can pop in on the pod and make sure everything is going OK or they can call me if they have a question. There is also a place for headphones so you could send a child with a pod and headphones to another class to work and still be able to talk directly to the student. It provides so much freedom and flexibility.

 

How have students reacted to the Flexcat?

Caroline Canessa: The students think the Flexcat is a lot of fun! They always ask to use the microphone and love to push the call button.

Alyson Hollon: The students were shocked at first when they realize that I could listen to their conversations even when I wasn’t near them. This has really pushed them to remain on topic and have higher-level group discussions. It has also given students who normally don’t ask questions the opportunity to ask me direct questions, reducing their feeling of apprehension.

Leah Janoe: My students have loved using the Flexcat system because they can discreetly call me to ask for help on a problem. Students who normally would not ask for help feel more comfortable asking for help if they can do so without me having to walk over to address them.

 

Could you share an example of a time when the Flexcat allowed you to catch a student really shining that you would have otherwise missed?

Ashley Scott: This year I had a few students new to our school. Most of my class has gone to school with their peers since kindergarten, and it can be an intimidating situation to walk into. It took this student until the third week to raise her hand to share with the class. One day I called on this particular child to “be the teacher” and share her thinking with the class during math. I gave her the microphone and once she heard her voice from the back of the room, she immediately smiled and stood up straight. You could see how excited and proud she was. Without the microphone, there is no way anyone would have been able to hear her because she was so nervous about sharing with her new peers.

Jennifer Looney: I have a very intelligent student who prefers to only share a few words at a time whole group because she is so shy. When she is with her tablemates, however, she is very talkative. I am able to listen in on her responses in a more laidback situation. I know several students have anxiety about whole class answers and responding directly to a teacher. As this student was working through a table problem in math, she guided her peers to solve a multiplication problem. It was really great to witness her come out of her shell and collaborate!

Alyson Hollon: I have this one student who really struggles working with teammates. One day I was listening to his group as they were finishing up a lab and he explained to another teammate why the chemical reaction occurred and he explained it so well. At this time I was working with my small group students and if I didn’t have the Flexcat I would never have heard his wonderful explanation.

 

What are your thoughts on education these days?

Caroline Canessa: The world of education is just as challenging and rigorous as it has always been.

Alyson Hollon: Today’s education is changing from teacher lead to student lead. Our students need “21st century skills” to be successful today which changes the role of teacher in a 21st century classroom. Students are more motivated and want to be in charge in their own learning.

Leah Janoe: In these times, I am amazed at what students are learning and how they are being taught. The methods and topics that students are using are amazing and I cannot imagine having learned with so many technology tools when I was in school.

 

What are your thoughts on technology in education? Why?

Jennifer Looney: Technology is used, in some way, for every career out there. Students must graduate knowing how to use this technology. To exclude technology from the classroom would be a great disservice to our students.

Leah Janoe: I am so excited for (and slightly jealous of) the technology opportunities my students have to integrate into their classes and learning. I’m amazed at all the tools students can use to encourage their learning.

Caroline Canessa: Technology in education is critical. It allows students access to information that they may not otherwise be able to access at home. It also readies all students for the future – which is increasingly more and more digital world.

 

Any other comments or experiences to share?

Alyson Hollon: I honestly believe with all the technology that I have in my classroom, the Flexcat is essential and necessary. A Flexcat should be in every classroom.

Ashley Scott: I would not want to go back to teaching without the Flexcat!

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Policy & Reform

How to help high school students find a career

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 30 percent of teens and young adults work in the leisure and hospitality industry. While those jobs are usually entry level and easy to attain, they aren’t necessarily career defining.

In addition to working entry level positions, most high school students aren’t exactly sure of what career path to take after high school.

To help them with such an important decision, Myverse has launched a new tool that will match high school students with a potential career path.

Myverse, “an online and mobile resource for middle school and high school students,” is a device that students may use to help them with selecting which career may best suit them.

One of the goals of Myverse is for students to at least have an idea of what career may interest them prior to stepping foot on a college campus.

Wayne Sharp, Myverse founder and president, believes that this test may change our future workforce for the better.

“Education shouldn’t be about getting through the next lesson or the next test, it’s bigger than that.  We as adults need to contextualize education in a way students can make real world connections with what they’re learning, especially when considering what they will do after graduation.  Myverse provides the starting point in this quest for students and teachers alike.”

As our economy continues to grow and change and the world’s workforce becomes more diverse, allowing students to explore career options that may be available to them before going to college is just another way to better prepare them for the future.

For more information on Myverse and to take the free career test, please visit www.myverse.com.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation

Insights from a strategic district realignment: Doing right by all students

By Javier Baca and Pam Betten

In Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD), located near Tucson, AZ, we serve nearly 18,000 students.  In the fall of 2013, our administration was faced with some tough decisions, because  additional funding didn’t pass in an override election. Our student population is comprised of 91% Hispanic Students, an 86% free and reduced lunch population, and a highly mobile population. We had to ask ourselves the question, how do we maintain the high quality programs offered in each of our schools with less money?

It was determined that the district would have to make several potentially difficult changes including the temporary closing of one of our middle schools, and the permanent closure of another which would inevitably lead to the realignment of various school boundaries within SUSD.  While all programs in each of our schools are standardized, meaning students have the same core programs across all campuses, the questions of how we serve our student population best, with the fewest changes possible still remained.

The proposed changes represented a major enrollment shift that would affect nine elementary and four middle school buildings, impacting over 50% of our student body.  We knew our approach to each of these changes needed to be thoughtful, strategic, and more importantly, we needed to ensure transparency in the process so all stakeholders, students and parents included, were informed and had a voice in the decisions being made.

Creating a Communications Plan

We began the process by conducting extensive research to ensure that we had the right information to build a strategic and comprehensive communication plan, making certain stakeholders were accurately informed of any and all proposed changes.  With so many proposed changes affecting so many of our students, we needed everyone to know what we were doing, why the changes were happening, what the benefits were and who would be impacted.  We recognized these changes could be disruptive to student’s families as well as our staff, inasmuch, focus was put on the needs of students, families and staff first and foremost, while still meeting financial obligations.

We believe that there is no such thing as over communicating!  We held multiple meetings on various, critical topics crucial to the success of the proposed changes: Governing Board meetings, Town Halls that were open to the public, face to face meetings with students and their families as well as with staff at each building affected.  It was important to us that we had meetings at the buildings, especially those receiving the new students in order to answer questions, meet with principals and set a welcoming tone.  This type of change needed to be strategic, student centered and community-focused, not just operationally driven.

Increased class size was the overwhelming concern for all families within the district.  It was important to us that this was addressed immediately; communicating to families that class size would remain the same in the face of any proposed change.

Deploying the Right Technology Tools 

The hard decisions that we had to make were inevitable; however we did have a choice about how we approached these changes.  By enlisting the help of various tech tools, we were able to navigate the process more efficiently, accurately and with more clarity.

Our administrative team had made the decision to implement GuideK12, a geovisual analytic software solution, with the knowledge that it would be instrumental in scenario planning for each individual change being proposed.  The platform gave us the ability to visualize student data mapped against existing and changing school boundaries; allowing for better understanding of potential impact, real-time scenario analysis, and scenario comparisons. During our meetings with families, at board meetings and more, we were able to take these scenario-maps and visually show the impact of proposed changes, highlighting details that could very well be lost in spreadsheets.

Understanding Needs of All Stakeholders

SUSD used the platform to determine projected enrollment and school boundary changes, allowing us to assess staffing levels and specialties currently in each school as they determined the impact due to building closures.  The ability to understand individual student needs geographically was vital throughout the creation of a comprehensive plan.

We were very careful to determine the needs of special populations programs, their proximity to new buildings and the capacity of new buildings to receive the programs. This information was instrumental to determine the best location for each location based on district and individual school resources.

When making large changes that affect so many of your students, you need to be comfortable with the process being a little messy, in order to minimize the disruption for students, families and staff in our community. Looking solely at the numbers may be easier, but does not automatically result in what is best for students.   By moving thoughtfully, strategically, having a strong understanding of your community’s needs, as well as utilizing a strong communication plan you too will see a much smoother transition with minimal disruption!

From start to finish, we were able to gain approval and make all necessary changes in just five months.

Insights from Experience

Advice to other districts:

  1. Create a cross-functional team of people (PR, Operations, Curriculum and Instruction, IT, Transportation, etc.).
  2. Include people on the team who understand the culture of the community you serve.
  3. Create a communication plan to clearly communicate and address the concerns of each group of stakeholders and address them early and throughout the process!
  4. Clearly define the what, why, and who of your strategic plan and determine the benefits and risks.
  5. Be sure you have solid data and excellent systems to analyze data and make decisions.
  6. Think through all affected areas: Food Service, Transportation, HR, Academic Performance, Special Ed., etc.
  7. Communicate frequently and clearly about “why” the changes are needed to parents, students, school board, faculty, community, and all affected stakeholders.
  8. Enable the organization to work as a team, break down any silos.
  9. Most importantly, Keep students, staff and learning front and center!

 

Read all of our posts about EdTech and Innovation by clicking here. 

_____

About the authors:

Javier Baca is the Executive Director of Information Technologies at Sunnyside USD, he oversees more than 10,000 devices and a 35-member team. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. 

Pam Betten is the Director of Middle Schools and One-to-One at Sunnyside USD, she can be reached via email at [email protected]

The district’s twitter handle is @sunnysideusd

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, list, Matthew Lynch

3 Critical Questions We Must Ask about the K-12 Online Learning Trend

Online learning is more than a fad. The facts are staggering: According to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, there are nearly 1.9 million K-12 enrollments in online courses every school year, up from under 50,000 in 2000. The current number does not even include students enrolled in primarily online schools. Thirty-one states have full-time online schools that serve on a statewide basis.

But is this trend, quickly becoming a permanent feature of our education, a positive one? Here are three questions to ask to determine whether online learning is changing the quality of education for the better or for the worse.

  1. Do online courses really adequately prepare you for college? The top reason that districts give for offering online options is for credit recovery, with 81 percent of urban schools citing this reason. Are online courses really equal to ones in the classroom though? It really depends who you ask. Recent news reports out of California show that high school graduation rates are at an all-time high of 78 percent, with even higher numbers in areas like San Francisco and San Jose. While some educators use these numbers to point to student success, critics say the rise in graduation numbers does not necessarily mean that students are college ready. The rise of online courses as a means to “make up” failed or incomplete classes are part of the reason more kids graduate – but do they know what they should?
  2. How rigorous are online courses? This is likely a cloudy area for those of us who grew up before the Internet forever changed the face of distance education. On a basic level, if a student reads the material, and is able to give correct answers on a test, that means he or she has “learned” the content. When an educator takes into account other influential factors like learning style, intelligence and work ethic, that basic definition becomes murky. The general consensus in the education community seems to be that even though online courses have merit, they are less rigorous than classroom settings.
  3. Is making online learning mandatory in high school a good thing? Then there is the issue of online learning as an overarching ideology. Embracing the inevitability that online learning is a very real part of the average college education, the state of Florida began requiring in 2011 that high school students in the 24-credit graduation option to take at least one online course. The public, Internet-based Florida Virtual School leads the way in this innovation and is considered a national leader in the e-Learning model. So in this example, Florida is not simply offering online courses as a backup; the state mandates that students on a college prep path get early exposure to the type of learning they are likely to see in college.

Simply put, there are two very different ways to look at online courses in K-12 education. On one hand, there is educational merit, though that education is debatable as to the actual extent of its effectiveness. On the other hand, there is the practicality aspect of exposing students to online learning long before the college years. The second point paints online learning as a life skill of sorts – something for kids to understand before entering the real world as adults, much like balancing a bank account or learning how to create a resume.

Regardless of the limitations of online learning, those who oppose K-12 online courses are just wasting their breath. The momentum of online learning is gaining speed. Educators can best spend their time looking for ways to enhance the content of what is offered in virtual courses and making the most of what classroom time is available.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, list, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

8 Ways to Rescue Public School Libraries from Becoming Obsolete

Public school libraries have always served an admirable purpose in education. In an indirect way, K-12 libraries have given students support in learning endeavors and been a go-to spot for information. With that being said, as the first Internet-generation rises through the public school ranks, libraries need big changes to remain relevant. It is not enough to simply “be there;” school libraries need to reach out to students and pull them in with helpful resources that combine traditional and contemporary theories in literacy.

Many school libraries are already making strides to capture and maintain the interest of students, while others seem to always be trailing just a few steps behind. Programs like the YOUmedia initiative housed at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library incorporate student-led publishing, music as a form of literacy and encouragement in academic pursuits to keep K-12 kids interested in what the library can do for them. Though YOUmedia does not take place in a public school, the open access to urban students and push towards literacy through technology are applicable to school settings.

Public school libraries need to grab the ever-divided attention of these youth. Here is what they need to achieve just that:

  1. Unbiased, and unlimited, access to information. This is at the core of every K-12 library’s purpose. All students have a level playing field when it comes to obtaining information and learning.
  2. Catalyst for social change. In their own quiet ways, school libraries have provided progressive thought through the materials they have provided over the years. Long before Internet search engines reigned supreme, students were able to research what they wanted in private, without fear of retaliation. Providing access to a wide variety of information has made school libraries an important piece in forward thinking.
  3. Safe oasis. School libraries have always afforded students a quiet, safe place for extracurricular meetings and studies. They have also given teachers a place to escape or quietly prepare for classes without unnecessary distractions. Students and teachers do not have to answer for themselves in a library setting, but can take some quiet time to get ready for what comes next.
  4. Community space. Most school libraries have several areas that can serve numerous purposes. Extracurricular clubs, planning committees or just friends who want to study together can meet in school libraries and have the space needed to accomplish tasks.
  5. Digital access. Instead of blocking websites or banning mobile devices from within library walls, schools should be finding ways to take part in the digital side of students’ lives. This goes beyond e-book offerings and extends to things like mobile apps and permission-based email reminders of upcoming school library events.
  6. Remote access. Students should have the ability to tap into school library resources off campus. The most basic necessity is an online card catalogue that is browser-based so students can look for what they need any time of day and from any location. Remote access may also mean digitizing archival photos and documents so students can access them from home and use the information in reports and other assignments. There is certainly something to be said of visiting the physical library for learning purposes, but without instant, remote options, students will bypass any help the school library provides in favor of a more convenient route.
  7. Life skills development. Libraries should not simply hand out books, but should take a vested interest in what the information contained means for long-term student success. School libraries should not just act as a support system to other life skills initiatives, but should create their own opportunities to guide students.
  8. Live events. A great way to earn the attention of contemporary students is to engage them in literacy in a live, personal way. This might mean inviting an author for a book reading or bringing in a local celebrity to discuss a book or media trend. School library staff should not be intimidated by geography; technology has made it possible to host these live events via Skype or other video software.

Libraries of the Future:

Experts agree that a blend of foundational values and access through technology are paramount to school library success. Library expert Doug Johnson says that all libraries have three primary responsibilities in the coming decade: providing “high touch environments in a high tech world;” offering virtual services; and standing ground as uber information hubs. Rolf Erikson is the author of Designing a School Library Media Center for the Future and he says that he is very “wary” of tradition because he feels it has kept administrators and library faculty from embracing innovation in the past. He believes that especially at the elementary school level, future libraries need to look beyond mere text materials to provide a learning space, not simply a “warehouse space.”

There is really no reason why school libraries should fear competing sources of information. With the right adjustments, K-12 libraries can work alongside the rest of the data that students access on a daily basis. Remaining relevant is simply a matter of carrying foundational ideals forward and adapting to an ever-changing information culture.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Higher Education, Teachers

Seven deadly sins of online course design

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

By Daniel Stanford

I took my first online course in 2004 while pursuing my MFA. It seemed like a novel idea at the time, and I had no clue I’d be spending the next ten years up to my eyeballs in online courses. Since then, I’ve helped faculty design dozens of online and hybrid courses, taught several of my own, and evaluated online courses and professional development programs from a variety institutions.

Over the years, I’ve seen certain design issues surface again and again. I had hoped to stockpile 95 of these “course design sins,” then nail them to a door in a Martin Luther-esque call for reform. That vision was later revised as I realized (A) 95 is a lot of sins to identify and (B) Martin Luther didn’t have to compete with the latest Buzzfeed list of 15 dogs wearing tiny hats.

In light of those realizations, I’d like to share with you my top seven course design sins, along with practical tips for atonement.

1. Overwhelming Discussions

“Compose your post, then respond to three classmates’ posts.” Sound familiar? These instructions have become de rigueur in online discussions even though it would be impossible to replicate this level of participation in a face-to-face class. The result is a massive number of posts that instructors and students dread sorting through.

How to Atone
1)    Relax discussion participation requirements. For instance, you might require students to contribute to two out of three discussions. This allows students to contribute to the discussions that interest them most, as they often do in face-to-face courses.
2)    Set reasonable guidelines for post length and number of replies. For prompts that tend to elicit long-winded replies, stress the importance of concise writing and set a maximum word limit.
3)    Provide a grading rubric in advance that focuses on quality, not quantity.

2. Lack of Scannable Text

Reading on a screen is tiring enough as it is. Don’t make it worse by writing long paragraphs devoid of visual interruptions and organizational cues.

How to Atone
1)    Use headings and lists to break up long blocks of text. This not only makes it easier to read the first time through, but also makes it easier for students to find what they need when they review material for a second or third time.
2)    Don’t rely on color to make important items stand out. This can quickly become overwhelming and isn’t helpful for colorblind users. Instead, use bolding (judiciously) to offset important details such as deadlines or warnings.

3. No Progress Indicators

Within seconds of entering a course or a specific unit of content, students should know what they’ve completed, what is incomplete, and when the incomplete items are due. The worst nightmare of any online student is to think she has met all the course requirements for a given day or week, only to stumble upon additional ones after a critical deadline has passed.

How to Atone 
1)    If your learning management system includes a checklist feature, provide one in every module to ensure students can keep track of what they’ve completed.
2)    If your LMS doesn’t include checklists, provide a concise to-do list at the beginning of each module so students can easily see what they have to complete and when graded items are due.
3)    List the deadlines for all graded items in your main course schedule or calendar.

4. Bad Narration

There are two reasons most instructors create narrated PowerPoints.
1)    They believe it will be faster to deliver a lecture verbally than write it out.
2)    They believe it will be more engaging for students than reading.

Both of these motivations have their pitfalls. First, faculty are often surprised how long it takes to produce an effective narrated presentation. Second, delivering information via audio with no text alternative makes it difficult for students to control the pace of their learning. It’s also worth noting that audio-only approaches to instruction can be challenging for ESL learners and a dealbreaker for students with disabilities.

How to Atone
Whatever your motivation for creating narrated presentations, your work will be better (and your students happier) if you keep these tips in mind:
1)    Break content into chunks of roughly five minutes or less.
2)    Ask the learner to respond to questions periodically. If you can’t provide interactive   quiz questions in the video itself, simply show a question on screen and give students a few seconds to pause and contemplate the answer before you provide it.
3)    Start with the topics you’re most passionate about and provide a written alternative for material you’re less excited to narrate.
4)    Allow students to download the PowerPoint file if they’d prefer to read it without narration. This is especially helpful if you’ve taken the time to add notes to each slide.

Also, before you get too attached to your presentations, share a sample with a friend and ask if your narration feels:
1)    natural and authentic (not over-rehearsed, over-annunciated, or overly scripted)
2)    appropriately paced (not too fast or too slow)
3)    pleasant (not too soft, too loud, or too nasal)
4)    dynamic and engaging (not monotone and dull)

5. Buried Leads

Don’t make students read through or listen to several minutes of non-essential fluff before you get to the good stuff. Burying the lead wastes students’ time and hurts your credibility as a curator. As a result, students will struggle to find the part where you finally say something important. Worse yet, they might begin to ignore your emails, readings, or videos altogether.

How to Atone
1)    Write in an inverted-pyramid format. Start with an eye-catching headline or summary and make sure the most important information is as close to the beginning as possible.
2)    Avoid fluffy intros. This is particularly important when creating audio/video content. Here’s an example.

Too Fluffy More Direct
Hi students. Welcome to module 3, video lecture 2. I hope you enjoyed our last module on X. In this video, I’m going to talk about writing an effective creative brief for an advertising campaign. Creating an ad campaign can be challenging. There are so many moving parts and different people who need to contribute to the design of a successful campaign. There can be many strong personalities involved… In a recent Ad Fed survey, 73% of creative directors say their work missed the mark due to a bad creative brief. Ineffective briefs often fall short due to X, Y, and Z. Let’s spend a few minutes analyzing each of these factors.

6. Digital Hoarding

Face-to-face courses come with limitations that encourage instructors to prioritize what they share with students. Examples include the number of hours in each class meeting and the number of photocopies the instructor has time to print. In online courses, these limitations are removed or relaxed, which makes it tempting to share every interesting reading, video, and website you’ve ever encountered. All too often, the result is a course site that feels like one of the homes on Hoarding: Buried Alive, but with more scholarly journals and fewer cats.

How to Atone
1)    Curate and annotate. Good curators know what to keep hidden in the vaults, what to place in the gallery, and how to lead visitors through it all in a way that informs and inspires.
2)    Contextualize links. Don’t assume their relevance is self-explanatory. Provide a sentence or two summarizing why the link is important.
3)    Customize links. Direct students to specific pages of a site and explain why those pages are useful instead of sending them to the homepage of a massive site and assuming they’ll find their way.
4)    Contextualize readings. This is particularly important when assigning long readings or videos. Provide guiding questions and/or warn students which sections or concepts they’re likely to find challenging. If all 50 pages of a reading (or hour of a video) are equally essential, briefly explain why.
5)    Separate and label what’s optional. Don’t let supplemental resources or anecdotes obscure what’s truly top priority. Be realistic in what students can reasonably read or view in a single day or week.
6)    Throw something away. Recognize that, even with optional resources, less is more.

7. Faceless Professor Syndrome

Online courses provide limited natural opportunities to reinforce that you’re a real human being and help students put a face with your name. Don’t squander these opportunities by obscuring your identity and increasing your anonymity on the discussion board and in your self-introduction.

How to Atone:
1)    Use a photo of your face for your online profile and discussion board avatar. Don’t use a photo of your dog, your favorite cartoon character, or a generic icon.
2)    Make sure your face is closely cropped so it’s recognizable at small sizes. This will help students see who is “speaking” at a glance if your face shows as a small icon next to your discussion board posts.
3)    Avoid tools like Voki or Tellagami that obscure your identity by synchronizing a talking cartoon with your voice. Novelties like this might be entertaining when used to create an Easter egg or a supplemental resource, but they increase online anonymity when used for introductions and essential announcements early in the term.

This post originally appeared on iddblog.org, and was republished with permission.

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_____________________________

Daniel Stanford holds an MFA in Computer Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a concentration in Interactive Design and Game Development. Since 1998, his interest in interactive media and education has led him to take on a variety of professional roles—from website designer and graphic artist to teacher and online-course developer. His work as an instructional designer has received multiple awards from the Instructional Technology Council and he has been both a course reviewer and finalist in Blackboard’s Exemplary Course competitions. Daniel is currently Assistant Director of Faculty Instructional Technology Services at DePaul University where he oversees multiple faculty-development initiatives, including the DePaul Online Teaching Series, which won the 2012 Sloan-C Award for Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Learning.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, International Education

Fostering Global Citizenship through Skype

Guest post by Sarah Byrne

CHAT to the Future is a growing registered charity based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada committed to education, global citizenship, and ending the cycle of extreme poverty. They unify these three concepts through the integration of technology into the lives of North American students.

CHAT itself stands for Care and Hope through the Adoption of Technology. CHAT runs a small orphans’ home in Kasangati, Uganda and uses the power of North American schools to fully fund everything from rent to education.

 

The real power in what CHAT does comes from Skype and their ability to connect the kids in Uganda to students of all ages across America and Canada. The kids in Uganda Skype for three hours each week, spending half hour installments talking to their friends, singing, learning, and sharing. This connection allows children in North American classrooms to expand their worldview and learn about a different culture through friendship and hands-on experience. Most importantly, it inspires global thinking in our students and facilitates global citizenship.

Technology has allowed teachers in this generation to access guest speakers, create digital meet-ups with other classrooms, and keep parents connected at the click of a button. CHAT wants to play a part by connecting kids via Skype and giving teachers the resources to integrate technology into their classrooms. When a class Skypes with children from Uganda, they are not only making new friends, but making global-minded connections.

One of the common problems with technology in the classroom is funding – new technology is expensive, and finding creative ways to utilize existing technology can be next to impossible. Webcams and Skype are two things that most classrooms are already equipped with, allowing them to participate easily without cost.

Not only does CHAT give teachers the opportunity to integrate technology into the classroom, but it also allows for students to come up with innovative and entrepreneurial projects that help them raise funds for their friends in Uganda. This engages students into a new kind of thinking, encouraging them to come up with ideas and solve problems. CHAT then ensures that the students have the skills and means to realize those ideas.

Currently, CHAT is working with a school in Colorado, who have partnered up with schools in Canada, Uganda and the Dominican Republic to create the One Million Lights campaign. Students at the Colorado school are 3D printing rechargeable lanterns that will be sent to areas where constant electricity is not a reality. Preston Middle School of Fort Collins, CO has made the prototype, while Riverview High School in New Brunswick, Canada worked on the electrical innovation.

These lanterns are being sent to CHAT House in Uganda as well as a school in the Dominican Republic to be tested and reviewed. After the reviews are in and the prototype is perfected, the designs and circuitry will be published for anyone to replicate. Of course, their Ugandan friends have already seen the prototypes over Skype.

What these schools are doing is an extraordinary example of the innovation, entrepreneurship, technological advancement, and global citizenship that CHAT to the Future is all about. Every year CHAT continues to see growth in our students both in North America and in Uganda. Connectivity in the classroom is important, and CHAT is happy to be a part of it.

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Sarah is a CHAT to the Future intern completing her second summer with the organization. She is passionate about education and currently working her way towards her BEd. Other pieces by Sarah can be found at www.chattothefuture.ca 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

Computer Science in K-12 Classrooms Needs to Catch Up

It’s estimated that in the next decade the number of computer science jobs in the U.S. will outnumber qualified people by 1 million. That’s 1 million jobs for the taking that Americans will miss out on because of inadequate skill sets. Despite this, only 10 percent of K-12 classrooms have computer science programs. So what gives?

The Problem

Traditional subjects like English and math receive a lot of play time in K-12 classrooms and they are considered “building blocks” for other subjects, like computer science. So when a high school senior decides to seek out a college degree in English, or mathematics, he or she has a general idea of what to expect in the classes that follow. The same can be said for arts-based topics, like the visual arts or music. Feasibly a young person accepted to college for those topics has had several years of training in it and plans to build on that base knowledge.

The same is not necessarily true for computer science majors. If only 10 percent of schools are teaching computer science courses (and we don’t know how extensive those programs may be), then it’s a safe bet that many of the kids entering those college classes have no idea what to expect. Or even worse – young people who may show promise in computer science never realize their potential because there is never a primer class to alert them to it. Despite its prevalence in the “real world,” computer science classes on K-12 campuses are not much changed from a decade or two ago.

There is also the slow nature in which K-12 schools, especially public ones, adopt new technologies. Classroom computers are nothing new but the science behind today’s careers is constantly evolving. It is difficult for classrooms to find the resources to keep up with the changing face of computer science. In some cases, by the time a particular technology is obtained or curriculum purchased, it is already on its way out the door as being considered cutting-edge. It can feel overwhelming, and frustrating, and this red tape keeps technology from reaching students’ hands in a reasonable time frame.

The Solutions

To meet the computer science job demand, K-12 schools will need help from outside partners. This could come in the form of area businesses willing to donate needed technology to make more classes happen or curriculum partnerships with groups like Code in the Schools. If every computer science classroom tries to re-invent the wheel, a lot of time and resources are wasted. So asking for help is the first step.

There also needs to be a larger focus on computer science at a younger age. This does not just mean computers and mobile devices available in K-12 classrooms but should include lessons on the “how” of the technology. The site Code.org has basic coding activities for children as young as Kindergarten – so teachers should be taking advantage of these resources. Waiting until middle or high school is simply too long to wait to spark an interest in K-12 students in computer science.

Finally, special attention should be paid to getting young women interested in computer science learning. Research tells us that girls are just as adept as boys at learning STEM topics, computer science included, but their interest tends to drop off in late elementary or middle school. Knowing this, educators should make sure girls are exposed to the same computer science learning as boys and encouraged through organizations like Girls Who Code. It may still take a generation to get to the point where young women feel completely comfortable seeking out computer science opportunities, so in the meantime support systems need to be there.

What solutions would you suggest for the lack of computer science in K-12 classrooms?

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation

Why "anti-tech" teachers irk me

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Lisa Mims

The conversation went something like this:

Teacher: Do you know he suggested using Tagxedo at Reading Night?
Me: What a wonderful idea!
Teacher: I don’t see why they want to use technology. (said with disdain)
Me: Why not? The kids and parents would have a good time.
Teacher: What if it doesn’t work? What if it doesn’t print? Then what are we supposed to do?
Me: What do you mean doesn’t work? It’s really easy to use.
And the conversation continued...

“Technology” is not something you can pick up or put down, it’s not a solid object. That is what frustrates me so much about people who are “anti-tech”. It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs every time someone says to me, “See, I used the Smartboard today, I used technology.”

Or, after typing an entire paragraph on a web page, it’s deleted, and the person yells, “See, that’s why I don’t use technology!”

Technology is not a subject!!!  It is a tool that is not going away. It’s not something extra that you add to a lesson, it’s just part of your lesson. You know, the way you use the textbook. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the question, “What if it doesn’t work?” So does that mean that we shouldn’t use it? What isn’t going to work? The Internet? The computers? Tagxedo?

Yes, there is a chance any one of those things might not work, but there is a greater chance they might. And what an experience that would be for those who use it! It reminds me of when my principal, who asked us to think outside of the box after a tech conference, asked me to put my Sliderocket presentation on a flash drive because the “Internet” might not work that day.The “Internet” worked just fine.

When I was thinking of a way for my kids to creatively describe themselves, I chose Tagxedo as a way to do that. While planning my lesson, I did not begin with, “How can I use Tagxedo today?” When I want to connect with students in another state or country, I use Wallwisher, Edmodo, Twitter, etc… because it’s a way to connect beside pen and paper.  When I want my students to share their thoughts simultaneously about the novel I am reading aloud, “Today’s Meet” is a wonderful tool. And, I don’t only use the Smartboard during observations, just to prove that I am using “technology”, because that’s what “they” want to see.

All the wonderful things I do with my class is not done to “show off”. It’s because it engages my students and makes teaching enjoyable. And yes, I do have a life. There are so many great ideas I get from so many different people in my PLN, so there’s no need to spend every waking hour trying to find them on my own.

We have to let go of this fear of the unknown , the fear of change. We have to remember that we should be lifelong learners, and not be scared to share our knowledge, even in a way that might not be comfortable for us!

This post originally appeared on Diary of a Public School Teacher, and was republished with permission.

Read all of our posts about EdTech and Innovation by clicking here. 

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Diary of a Public School Teacher is a blog where Lisa Mims shares her  thoughts about any aspect of the teaching profession. She is a DEN (Discovery Education Network) STAR Educator! She loves writing and I has contributed posts to Free Technology for Teachers, Edudemic, TeachHub, GoAnimate, Edutopia, etc.
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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

Life Skills, Cloud Technology and Branding: K-12 Trends for 2014 — Part I

Even though the traditional K-12 calendar is over, the summer is a time for reflection and goal-setting for educators. The year 2013 has certainly seen a lot of advancement in pedagogy and technology in the classroom, but 2014 is poised for even more changes. While every district, school and individual classroom operates in its own way, these are some sweeping trends that will impact K-12 education across the board.

Today I look at three of those trend in the first part of this three-part series. I’m interested to hear your thoughts on these trends in the comment section as well.

Life skills. Public schools have always been more than places for book learning and have been a socializing agent too. Now even the most elite, expensive school systems are recognizing the need for training students beyond academics. It is no longer assumed that parents in middle- or high-class homes will bridge the gap between academics and real-world applications – schools are expected to shoulder that responsibility.

As a result, it seems that educators everywhere are placing greater focus on “life skills” and how they relate to well-rounded students. From the public Eugene School District in Oregon to the $26,000-per year progressive, private Wildwood School in Los Angeles, a rise in emphasis is obvious in areas like integrity, curiosity, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Schools are not just teaching the skills out of social responsibility; parents have come to expect them as a normal part of the K-12 learning experience.

Movement to the cloud. As technology becomes more customized within classrooms, educators will continue to look for ways to access vital classroom information outside its walls. Cloud computing and storage make it possible for everyday lessons to be revisited from home, for parents to follow along more easily and for teachers to access their files away from their desks. The convenience offered through cloud applications mean that every member of the educational team can work seamlessly toward the same goals without boundaries or having to wait on each other.

Schools are just one industry jumping on the cloud bandwagon. Experts predict that by the end of 2015, the cloud market will be globally worth $180 billion, with 50 million physical servers in the world. Unlike technology developed specifically for classroom use, cloud applications are facing mass adoption in 2014, making it a more affordable and convenient technology for K-12 use.

School branding. There is a lot of talk of “school choice” these days. With more than 2 million students enrolled in charter schools and 16 states with private school choice programs, the days of settling on school because of geography (or paying a hefty premium to avoid it) are past. As a result, competition for students is on the rise and a type of branding is taking place, even at public schools. Consider it school team spirit – on steroids. It is not enough to simply claim education in vague terms as a reason to attend a particular school. Schools must “prove” their worth in the broader educational marketplace.

Expect educators to band together and come up with niches or specialties that set their schools apart in some way. In the case of magnet schools, a specialty is often already established – but there is still room for even more customization of a particular school’s brand or identity in its area. Schools will continue to flock to social media as tools for outreach and will become more invested in community events that feature that particular school as an integral part.

Are you seeing these trends take shape at your own schools?

 

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