technology

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

3 Disturbing Trends Made Prevalent By Technology

The Information Era has dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. Above all, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger.

From the accessibility of online learning to students who otherwise would struggle in traditional settings to assistive technology for students with autism, there are lots of great technologies that teachers need to keep track of to be effective.

However, it is not just important to know which piece of technology will assist in the education of students, but to watch out for certain disturbing trends that have arisen as a result of the availability of these new technologies. Here are just three of those trends:

  1. Texting and awful grammar in K-12 schools. Internet and cell phone cultures have brought a whole new meaning to American slang. Not only are kids these days speaking informally, but now those relaxed rules of grammar are sneaking into written words too.

The biggest problem with these digital avenues of composition, according to surveyed teachers, is the blurring of lines between formal and informal writing. Abbreviations are common, particularly on platforms like Twitter that have a 140-character limit. Most smartphones now have no limits on texting characters, but students that owned phones with the 160-character limits of just a few years ago have already formed short, abbreviated habits. In the digital realm, short and sweet is the key – even if a grammar, punctuation and writing formalities fall by the wayside. The same is not true of educational writing pursuits though, as K-12 writing instructors must prepare students for the demands of strong, professional writing in college and the workplace.

A report released by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that over 26 percent of college graduates have deficient writing skills. These findings were not based on graduation assessment exams, but compiled by interviewing actual employers. These employers said that many college-educated employees could not even accomplish the basic writing tasks of the job proficiently. How are these students earning college degrees if their writing is not up to par though? With the average U.S. student accruing $35,200 in college debt, it would seem learning the basics of writing, at least above a “deficient” level, would be a given takeaway.

A report released by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that over 26 percent of college graduates have deficient writing skills. These findings were not based on graduation assessment exams, but compiled by interviewing actual employers. These employers said that many college-educated employees could not even accomplish the basic writing tasks of the job proficiently. How are these students earning college degrees if their writing is not up to par though? With the average U.S. student accruing $35,200 in college debt, it would seem learning the basics of writing, at least above a “deficient” level, would be a given takeaway.

  1. Sexting and sexual harassment. Today, sexual harassment between students is even more widespread because of the viral nature of the internet and sexting. A photo that a young man sends his latest crush can quickly become fodder for a school-wide joke when it appears on a social media account or is texted to a large group of other students. It is also much harder for students to get away from harassment because their school lives follow them more closely than ever outside classroom hours, due to technology. It is also difficult to know where a school’s jurisdiction ends when it comes to harassment between students that takes place outside of school hours.

The problem of sexual harassment in schools is persistent.  Schools can act more responsibly on the issue by formulating proper and specific sexual harassment policies and providing special training programs for teachers, students and other administrative staff.  Seeking the support of parents is also beneficial. The challenges around implementing sexual harassment policies are made even more difficult because students shy away from reporting incidents, for fear of suffering additional consequences or being ridiculed.  The solution is to create a safe environment in the school so that such instances of harassments simply do not take place and the students feel secure, although this is often easier said than done.

  1. Cyber bullying. According to an article published on VoicED.org.uk, a poll of 2000 11-16 year olds found that almost three in five (57%) have done something ‘risky’ or anti-social while online. In addition, almost two in three (62%) said that they felt under pressure from peers to act in this way on the internet.

The activities described included saying negative things about other people, viewing unsuitable websites and, perhaps most worryingly, sharing unsuitable videos or pictures of themselves. Moreover, a fifth of those surveyed admitted to having pressured someone else to act in a negative way online (this rose to 32% in London).

Of the 2000 respondents, almost half (47%) said that they had viewed something on the internet that they did not think their parents would want them to view, whilst around one in seven (14%) said they had sent images of either themselves, or of someone else, that they did not think their parents would want them to send.

A tenth had signed up to online sites or services which were not meant to be viewed by their age group.

In terms of cyber-bullying, almost three quarters (72%) of respondents aged 14-16 had witnessed some form of online bullying, or had been subjected to it. While this is a bleak statistic, there are positive signs. Three quarters had blocked another user of an app or on a website, two thirds (68%) had supported someone else who had suffered cyber-bullying and 74% had ‘stood up for themselves’.

Classrooms are becoming more high-tech, and a lot of innovation has come from that. However, it is important to keep in mind how these new technologies influence disruptive behaviors.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

Education Technologies and Concepts that Every Teacher Should Know: Part I

Click here to read all the posts in this series. 

The Information Era began some decades ago. Since its inception, though, it has dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. Above all, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger. Old-fashioned classrooms equipped only with books and chalkboards are long gone. In their place, we have new technologies and concepts such as Internet research, experience-based education, virtual learning, and online live assessments are being introduced to meet educational needs in the Information Era.

Throughout 2013 and during the first half of 2014, we have seen a lot of advancement in education technology designed for the classroom, and to be effective, teachers need to stay abreast of these new technologies and concepts. The summer is the perfect time for teachers to receive retooling in the area of education and several innovations and concepts are available to help teachers familiarize themselves with important concepts.

In this five-part series, I plan to discuss education technologies and concepts that every teacher should know about. Some are old, some are new, and some nascent, but they all have viable classroom uses. I’m interested to hear your thoughts on these technologies and concepts in the comment section as well.

BYOD. The first thing I want to discuss is a concept of technology that basically embraces mobile technology through the devices that students already own. As a kind of movement within education, BYOD has already gained momentum in many districts across the country, but should continue towards mass adoption within this calendar year. Places like Chesapeake Public Schools are already allowed to use privately owned electronic devices to access the wireless network on the school system’s filtered Internet. In Chesapeake, as in the other public and private schools where BYOD policies exist, students must sign a responsibility form that says they will only use the mobile device for academic enrichment while on school property. Students who bring their own devices into the classroom eliminate the initial costs and are also already comfortable with the technology. The downside is that not all students can readily afford such technology. Many must look for schools to develop technology financial assistance programs for families to help offset the full cost and maintenance of school-owned devices.

Customized learning experiences. Self-initiated and self-directed learning experiences are based upon the needs, preferences, and abilities of individual students. The traditional way to look at learning is via the creation and assignment of work by teachers in a one-size-fits-all approach for every classroom. Customized learning, however, allows students to direct focus on feedback techniques that provide strategies for improvement during the process, instead of waiting for a given test period see if the methods are working.

Considering pros and cons of this concept, we must not that customized, or personalized, learning is often met with hostility, especially as teachers must relinquish some classroom control for this trend to really work. On the flip side, though, customized learning has the potential to incorporate a variety of resources, such as virtual learning, to aid in the learning process while allowing teachers to moderate one-on-one learning experiences in practical ways. I think that the idea of handing control to students is frightening to some educators and administrators but once attempted, even on a small scale, it is easy to see the benefits of personalized learning.

Online learning. Virtual learning is certainly not new to the K-12 scene, but its increasing popularity is difficult to ignore. Once, only the world of distant learning embraced the process of online learning. Today, though, online learning is segmented and increasingly a part of a more traditional learning experience. It is no longer all or nothing. Distance learning has become mainstream and will continue to transform in-classroom learning in the coming year.

Virtual learning also makes it possible for parents, teachers and students to have access to information they may need regardless of their actual physical location. In essence, it expands the classroom and gives students more time and space to complete and comprehend their lessons.

In coming posts, we will look at more technologies and concepts that every teacher should know.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

More Time for Educating: Technology and Teaching Efficiency

The hours an educator spends in active teaching pursuits are just a small piece of the overall workload puzzle. Between developing lesson plans, reporting on student performance and keeping parents informed of student progress, a teacher’s job spills over into the hours when there are no students sitting at the desks.
Technology has been both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the teaching profession. On one hand, electronic reporting tools streamline some of the processes that go along with teaching; on the other hand, more work has been handed off to teachers because the technology exists to make it so. It seems that with each passing school year, another responsibility is placed on the shoulders of teachers who already have more than enough on their plates.

Overworked and Still Behind

A report published on TeachingQuality.org states that nearly 70 percent of teachers say that they simply do not have enough time to address all of their states’ curriculum frameworks, despite the fact that teachers work an average of 50 hours per week. Teacher surveys have also found that a reduction in teacher workload would increase retention, particularly in the first five years of a teaching career. Not only would teachers be happier if they had more time, but they are struggling to fit in their current requirements as it is.

The primary role of teachers is educate their students, yet they are often so bogged down in the paper-pushing that accompanies the job that their very purpose is compromised. So how can educators take advantage of existing technology to streamline their professions – and save themselves time in the process?

Alma: Free Student Information and Learning Systems

New technologies are emerging to combat these frustrations. Alma, a student information and learning management system, combines a wide range of reporting features that are typically only available in several fragmented systems – instead of a central location. Alma brings together lesson planning and curriculum management with student and classroom management to give teachers all the tools they need in one place and with one login – so they no longer have to master a dozen different tools to do their jobs.

Alma has clever shortcuts and time-savers throughout the system, so tasks that might take several clicks in other products can be done in one or two clicks in Alma. Built-in messaging and collaboration tools make easier and cut down on the time it takes for teachers to connect with parents, students and other educators. And Alma is cloud-based, which means it can be used from any internet-enabled device – cutting down on late nights in the classroom.

Alma is a “freemium” product, so its core services are offered for free, including school management, student records, backward curriculum development and gradebooks. Schools can upgrade the core package for a fee to include extras that may be helpful to their operations, like on-site support and emergency notifications. There is optional support for schools who would like the hands-on help, but it is not a requirement for schools that have the staff and ability to handle it on their own. Most schools will be able to set up the system in a day or less.

Alma’s customers include schools in 20 states and four countries.

The Teaching Benefits of Time-Saving Technology

As a former public school teacher, I wish I had access to the type of technology and reporting that Alma offers. I still remember thinking of the school bell at the end of my day as the signal of my “lunch break” and that there were still many hours of work ahead of me. Like other teachers, I did my work without complaint and did my best to ensure my students were learning what they needed to know before exiting my classroom doors for good. Still – between planning, reporting, communication with parents and actual teaching, it was nearly impossible to get it all done. So I feel the pain of today’s teachers, asked to do even more in an already-tight schedule.

Any tools that can free up teachers’ time to dedicate to actual teaching are ones that schools should seek out. There is no reason that the profession of teaching shouldn’t improve its efficiency as the technology becomes available, and Alma is a frontrunner in making this happen in K-12 schools across the country.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Teachers

10 Engaging Digital Education Sites For Any Social Studies Classroom

By Michael Gorman, @mjgormans

If you have performed a recent search you may have found there is a countless number of social studies resources on the internet. In this post the goal was to find ten sites that addressed the area of Social Studies across all the diversified areas found in the discipline. Below, you will find the results of some extensive searching! You will discover a wide variety of materials including readings, OER (Open Education Resources), primary documents, textbooks, lessons, activities,  interactives, videos, audios, and some great blog readings. There is bound to be something for any teacher. Best of all many of these resources will help build a Social Study Classroom e-curriculum while facilitating those important 21st century skills and engaging students! Enjoy your journey!

National Council for Social Studies – While NCSS has an outstanding website loaded with great information, you may wish to take a closer look at the Teacher Library. In this wonderful database NCSS has selected a collection of amazing classroom activities, teaching ideas, and articles from Social Education, Middle Level Learning, and Social Studies and the Young Learner. Educators can browse the collection, or search by historical period and grade level. It could pay off to take a moment and explore the site. Be sure to visit the lesson resources link for some outstanding lessons

Edsitement – The link brings you to the lesson plan page, be sure to explore other amazing areas in the site. The lesson plans can be explored by Art & Culture, World Language, History & Social Studies , AP U.S. History, and Literature & Language Arts. Be sure to explore the Student Resources. These are engaging interactive activities by grade or subject area collected from around the Web. They can be used to support related lesson plans or as standalone activities in the classroom.

New York Times Learning Network – The New York Times has a wonderful selection of articles and lessons that have a wide range of social studies ideas. You will find categories covering regular social studies, civics, american history, global history, this day in history, geography, current events, and economics. The lessons contain wonderful readings, graphics, and ideas to add to any social study class digital collection.

SAS Curriculum Pathways –  This is a wonderful collection of highly engaging lessons plans available for free from SAS Curriculum Pathways in North Carolina. With a collection of around 700 lesson plans as of this publication, the archive allows teachers to search and also browse through multiple social studies categories. The provided link will bring you to the Social Studies area of the site.

Teachers Pay Teachers – On a recent visit to this site there were  close to 80,000 social studies and history resources available.. It could then be narrowed down to almost 10,000 free social studies and history resources. The supplied link goes to those almost 10,000. With this many, it is real possible to find something. Best of all, use the keyword search and narrow it down more. If free is desired… be sure to turn on that filter.

Go Social Studies Go – This is an open education resource with a goal of bring free social studies textbooks to the work. The selection has text, graphics, movies, interactive activities, and other engaging links. Presently there are textbooks for US History, Ancient History, and World History.

Annenberg Learner – Here you will find a rich interactive collection of activities and they can all be yours to discover when you visit the Annenberg Learner  Social Science Collection. Choose from some engaging opportunities that will benefit a wide variety of social studies classrooms. You can pick from Psychology, Political Science, Area Studies/Geography, History, and Anthropology/Archeology.

OER Commons – What a wonderful place to find open educational resources. In fact, the link provided will bring up over 10, 000 resources just in the social sciences. Take some time and do a search for the exact category of social studies desired. There are some great resources that will supplement any curriculum.

Social Studies and History Teachers’ Blog – Discover this wonderful blog that allows all social studies related teacher to find something that just might fit into a lesson. Here you will find some fun reading, and a lot of engaging ideas.

Mr D’s Neighborhood – This is another creative social studies blog filled with valuable resources and information. It’s content is relevant, engaging, and bound to get students excited about learning all those areas that the social studies encompass. Get ready for a lot of resources.

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Follow Mike Gormans on Twitter: @mjgormans.

This post originally appeared on 21st Century Educational Technology and Learning and was republished with permission.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation

The 4 biggest mistakes that teachers make when integrating technology

**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 Craig Kemp

In classrooms all around the globe, educators are introducing new and exciting technological tools to engage their students in learning. Many educators are successful when integrating these technologies, but unfortunately many are not for a variety of reasons.

In my opinion, and from my experience in classrooms around the world, these are the biggest mistakes that educators make when integrating technology into the classroom:

Technology before pedagogy

Sadly, educators see the latest gadgets and feel the need to use them without giving a thought to ‘why’. Education is all about purpose. Integrating technologies into our learning environments needs to be relevant and purposeful; it needs to make learning easier and more engaging for our students. Ask yourself ….. Why am I using this technology and how will it improve learning in my classroom? Think Pedagogy (and curriculum) before Technology.

Technology as a toy

Too often in classrooms around the world I see technology used as a toy. Technology needs to be used as a tool to support learning, not as a gadget or a toy (as much as we all love them). The students that we educate in today’s 21st century learning environments are digital natives and are the leaders of tomorrow. They use technology as a toy in their own time. In schools, we need to use technology to teach them lifelong learning skills for the future.

Technology to fill in time

Technology should be used as a learning tool, not as a tool to fill in time or to keep students ‘busy’. Every spare moment in our classrooms should be packed full of engaging, learning opportunities. It is powerful to see educators that are passionate about their jobs, and are utilising technology in new and innovative ways.

Not utilizing the technology available

I am sure you have seen this before … A teacher gets supplied with the best possible tools to integrate technology into his or her classroom and the technology sits in the corner of the room, in the trolley or in a cupboard gathering dust while students drool over their existence. No matter how hard you try, you can’t pry the key out of their hands to unlock the learning potential. While this is not a mistake, it is close enough. You can’t make mistakes if you don’t take risks and this is the hardest thing to see. No opportunity given to unlock learning potential in students through the use of integrated tools.

Being a passionate educator, leader, and coach, I hope for a classroom where everyone (including the educators) are willing to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them; where technology is used as a tool to enhance learning and pedagogy..

Pedagogy before technology! Get integrating, be willing to take risks and immerse your students in the wonderful learning opportunities that technology provides.

For more information, or to connect with me please follow me on twitter @mrkempnz or through my blog www.mrkempnz.com

This post originally appeared on Mr. Kemp’s blog, and was republished with permission.

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Craig is a New Zealand born educator with over 10 years experience both in the classroom and in leadership. He is an enthusiastic, 21st century change agent that is passionate about every aspect of education and making a difference.

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, EdTech & Innovation

K-12 Learning Experiences: 6 Trends That are Improving Them

In this age of technology and innovation, the K-12 learning is continually evolving in order to adapt to the times. It’s important that teachers keep up-to-date with the latest helpful technology for their students and that parents understand the ramifications of that technology, too.

Here are six major classroom trends that are impacting the K-12 learning process:

1. BYOD: This movement which embraces mobile technology through the devices that students already own has already gained momentum in many districts across the country, and it is rapidly moving towards mass adoption. Places like Chesapeake Public Schools are already allowed to use privately owned electronic devices to access the wireless network on the school system’s filtered Internet. In Chesapeake, as in the other public and private schools where BYOD policies exist, students must sign a responsibility form that says they will only use the mobile device for academic enrichment while on school property. Students who bring their own devices into the classroom eliminate the initial costs and are also already comfortable with the technology. The downside of course is that not all students can readily afford such technology, but look for schools to develop technology financial assistance programs for families to help offset the full cost and maintenance of school-owned devices.

2. Customized learning experiences: Self-initiated and self-directed learning experiences are based upon individual needs, preferences and abilities of students who are then the masters of their own success.  The traditional way to look at learning is through teachers creating and assigning all work for students in a one-size-fits-all approach.

On the flip side, customized learning has the ability to incorporate a variety of resources, such as virtual learning, to aid in the learning process while making it a way for teachers to moderate one-on-one learning experiences in practical ways. I think that the idea of handing control to students is hypothetically frightening to some educators and administrators but once they’ve actually tried it on a small scale, personalized learning actually looks more attractive from an adult’s perspective.

3. Online learning: Virtual learning is certainly not new to the K-12 scene, but its increasing popularity can’t be ignored. It used to be that online learning was associated only with distance learning, or students who went through the academic process off of school grounds. Today, online learning is more segmented and often just one part of a more traditional learning experience. Virtual learning is no longer all or nothing; it has become mainstream and will continue to transform in-classroom learning.

4. Early education emphasis: Optional preschool is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Research shows that students who start the formal education experience, even one year earlier than Kindergarten, fare better long term in their academic careers. Thirty eight states offer free, voluntary preschool learning programs and nearly 1.6 million low-income families receive assistance from the federal Child Care Development Fund to pursue early childhood education. That fund is just one portion of President Obama’s $75 billion plan to expand early childhood learning in order to give American students a stronger foundation going into Kindergarten. I expect that in the next decade, our terminology will change from K-12 to PK-12 when we talk about student benchmarks.

5. Outdoor/environmental learning: In short, more schools are looking for ways to get students and teachers outside. We are in an era of experiential learning, so environmental education fits the bill for many students.  Lessons in this field teach children an appreciation of the earth and of its resources that the human population is quickly depleting. A better, hands-on understanding of nature also helps with science comprehension and gives students practical learning experiences.

Research has also found that teaching outside, even for short stints, improves student attitudes, attendance and overall health. In many schools teachers have always had the freedom to take students outside if they deemed it lesson-appropriate.

6. Strengthening STEM education: A greater focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning has been a “trend” for at least the better part of a decade.  Specifically, teachers are looking for innovative ways to deliver STEM material (mobile technology is just one way, virtual science labs are another) and more stringent benchmarks are being created at the local, state and federal level. It is no longer enough for American students to just get by in comparison to each other in STEM subjects; global competition is proving that students in the U.S. need more focus in these subjects to lead the worldwide marketplace as adults.

As you can see, K-12 classrooms are not at all static, but will continue to incorporate cutting-edge technology and socially relevant practices into the curriculum. Understanding and supporting this technology is vital to advancing K-12 students to the next level of their educational success.

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

3 Ways Technology Can Fix Education

As the use of technology becomes more and more prevalent in schools, concerns have popped up about its ubiquity in schools. Some will even go as far as to say that technology will ruin education in America.

For better or worse, the various educational technologies are here to stay. In fact, they can and have made an impact on K-12 education today. Here are three areas in which technology can actually improve the quality of education in our country:

  1. High school graduation rates. We have recently experienced the highest graduation rate the country has seen since 1974. Educators are collectively working harder to help students make it to the high school finish line and get prepared for college and the workforce. There is a lot of credit to be handed out for the successful graduation rates around the country (of course, there are still plenty of areas for improvement) but I think one shining area deserves a lot of the praise: technology.

The website DropoutPrevention.org singles out technology as a leader in high school graduation upsurge. The site states:
“Educational technology is needed for a variety of reasons. It provides an alternative method of learning for those who struggle to learn using traditional methods.

Technology can be used to address multiple intelligences and also to provide authentic learning experiences for students.”
In other words, technology has made it possible for students who fall off the traditional path to jump back on and finish what they spent most of their childhood working towards. This may be in the form of taking remote classes from home, remedial classes in on-campus computer labs or even by enrolling in full-time online schools, public or private.

Having in-classroom technology more directly impacts the graduation rate by providing customized learning experiences. A student who needs extra help on a particular topic need not hold up the entire class, or feel embarrassed asking for that help, when there are computer modules and tablet apps available for individual learning experiences. Teachers who spot a trouble area with a particular student can gear that teen towards more exercises to master the topic. Of course technology is not the magic wand to fix all problems, but it does allow for more flexibility of the learning process which in turn makes it easier for a wider group of students to stay in classrooms until the end of the K-12 journey.

  1. Students with disabilities. In 2011, 22 percent of non-institutionalized adults with disabilities had less than a high school education. If this statistic was applied to the general population, my suspicion is that there would be an outcry to reform K-12 education to have better graduation results. But for students with disabilities, there is no shock or outrage and that is something that has to change. The key to improving the educational experience for students with disabilities is better accommodations in schools and continued improvements in assistive technology.

Assistive technology in K-12 classrooms, by definition, is designed to “improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.” While the word “technology” automatically conjures up images of cutting-edge electronics, some assistive technology is possible with just simple accommodations. Whether high-tech or simple in design, assistive technology has the ability to transform the learning experiences for the children who benefit.

Here is a look at strides being made in just a couple of common assistive technology areas:

Alternative input devices: These tools are designed to allow students with disabilities to use computers and related technology easily. Some alternative input devices include touch screens, modified keyboards and joysticks that direct a cursor through use of body parts like chins, hands or feet. Some up-and-coming technology in this area is sip-and-puff systems, developed by companies like Microsoft, to perform computer functions through the simple process of inhaling and exhaling. On-screen keyboards are another area of input technology that is providing K-12 learners with disabilities better use of computers and mobile devices for learning.

Sensory enhancers: Depending on the disability, children may need to learn differently than their peers. Instead of ABCs and numbers first, a child with language hindrances may benefit from bright pictures or colors to learn new concepts. Sensory enhancers may include voice analyzers, augmentative communication tools or speech synthesizers. With the rapid growth of technology in the classroom, these basic tools of assistive technology are seeing great strides.

  1. Urban students and the education achievement gap. Students in urban schools tend to have stereotypes attached to them. Rather than see these students as individual learners, many urban kids and their schools are often thrown into the “lost cause” category. Problems like deteriorating buildings and overcrowding often become too overwhelming for reformers.

In a 2009 article in the Harvard Political Review, writers Tiffany Wen and Jyoti Jasrasaria discuss the “myths of urban education.” The article points out that many people are quick to label urban schools as lost causes without actually investigating individual issues or how they can be resolved.

As with all aspects of K-12 improvement, finding the answers to higher achievement for urban students is a complicated process. I believe that technology can work to teacher and student advantages though. The implications of mobile technology in K-12 classrooms are still being realized but one thing is certain: more individualized learning is now possible. In cases where overcrowding is detrimental to learning experiences, mobile technology can serve as a placeholder teacher in terms of directing students and keeping them engaged in learning when the physical teacher is unavailable.

At its core, the American educational system is about democratization of knowledge for all students, regardless of their circumstances. Advancements in technology are making this more and more possible.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

K-12 Technology: Benefits and Drawbacks

The late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” Though he was speaking about the road to true equality for all people, I have often attributed this quote to the role of education in America, particularly public education for K-12 students. Despite the quickness with which our society has become accustomed to having everything, all at once, educational reform and progression is still a slow-turning gear in the great machine of time.

The truth is that the face of K-12 education is in a constant state of change. Educators that have been in the field for several decades may notice that the speed at which changes in methodology and student population are taking place is on a high-speed course compared to the past. Many factors play into this but none as strongly as technological advancements. The Internet, wireless devices and improvements in communication all heighten the immediacy of information both within and without the classroom.

This is both a blessing and a curse, of course. It is really too soon to tell if the first Internet-raised generations will fare better or worse in life and succeed on a global scale. The assumption is that technology equals improvement and I would argue that overall, it is a true statement. More access to information and a shrinking world can only lead to beneficial results for K-12 students. The children graduating from high school in the next decade will have a broader view of the world than ever before and that is thanks to traditional geographic boundaries becoming non-issues in communication, workforce and learning. I take no issue with the actual technology. It is great. Where I see existing and potential problems is in the indirect effects of technology on the comprehension habits of our youngest learners.

You have to look at the overall influence of rapidly advancing technology to realize how it is also an obstacle to K-12 classrooms. In its broadest sense, technology has totally transformed the way that our children view life. A recent study by Common Sense Media for children age eight or younger found that 72 percent have computer access at home. Television use is almost universal, with 98 percent of children in this age group having at least one at home and 10 percent reporting that theirs is kept on all the time.

While television consumption by children is nothing new, programs targeted toward toddlers and even infants are on the rise.  Consider cable and satellite television staple Baby First TV. The channel plays continuous programming aimed at infants and toddlers that is commercial free. I bring this up not to spark a debate about whether this type of television viewing is helpful or hurtful to developing youngsters; I mention it as an example of just how ingrained screen culture has become in the lives of our kids. The journal Pediatrics found that between the ages of birth and six, kids watch an hour-and-a-half television per day. These measurements do not even address indirect exposure, which puts the amount of time a television plays in the background at four hours per day for kids under the age of two. Love it or hate it, screen culture is a foundational element of the contemporary American childhood.

As a result, our kids arrive at Kindergarten with an advanced idea of instant gratification. They know that any game, program or form of communication is available at the touch of a button. This easy access to everything translates to the way that these children are programmed for learning, especially when moments of frustration arise. There is not a “quick fix” solution for everything but most children have limited firsthand experience with waiting. It has always been very difficult to keep the attention of students, particularly in the elementary set, but advancements like smartphones, tablets and Web sites directed at young learners have complicated this truth even more. Teachers and administrators today must find ways to keep students interested but not completely abandon tried-and-true methodology. Thus the great problem with technology takes its toll on K-12 classrooms across the nation.

Phrases like “hitting the books” may soon be non-existent as budgets for e-readers slowly chip away at the book budgets for school libraries. An electronic book has a lot of appeal: it is cheaper to manufacture, lighter to carry and even manages to reduce the carbon footprint of the student. Since students are so comfortable with touchscreen methods, it stands to reason that reading may actually come more easily when learned through an electronic device. The problem again is not that the technology harms the actual learning mechanics, but it leads to another issue altogether.

When was the last time you bought or borrowed a book, electronic or hard copy, just to admire the rhetoric? Have you ever found yourself reading simply because you enjoy grammar? Most of us would have different responses to why we read for leisure. Special interest. Excitement. Chance to escape reality. People that love to read have an interactive relationship with the material. Cracking open a fresh book is an experience unlike any others and is a reserved, special moment. Kids that are introduced to literature in the same way that they learn math problems, or have video calls with grandparents, or play non-educational games do not have the same reverence for reading because it is nothing special.

I’ve heard the argument that it is not the delivery method but the content that matters in getting kids excited about reading but I’m not sure I’m biting. Again, this is an issue that is still too young to have definitive answers. It is just one area of the indirect impact of rapidly advancing technology that keeps me up at night.

So what then is the answer? If technology is embraced by some and rejected by others, how can K-12 students be expected to know the right way to learn? It seems that the answers are about as clear as mud. I believe that technology has provided the swift kick that K-12 education has needed for decades to make the sweeping adjustments required to reach contemporary students and inspire education. I am just not sure yet which traditional teaching elements deserve to be clung to and which ones are meant to for the curb. The debate of how to best prepare our children for a lifetime of achievement is one that I believe deserves constant fueling in order to give K-12 students the best shot at academic, and life, success.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Teachers

Peering Past the ‘Pixie Dust’ of Technology

How schools can ensure that technology is used effectively to transform teaching and learning

By Jill Hobson

When it comes to technology use in schools, a persisting tendency exists to believe that infusing classrooms with new technology will miraculously change teaching and learning. Unfortunately, education technology isn’t like Tinker Bell’s pixie dust.  Sprinkling it in classrooms won’t magically transform instruction.

The novelty of new technology simply doesn’t change instruction by itself. Teachers must have guidance and direction, as well as a model for effective edtech use, in order to truly transform teaching and learning.

Today, many administrators expect technology to be used in daily instruction. The sentiment is admirable, but without setting clear expectations for how technology should transform instruction, what districts will see is “mood use.” If teachers are in the mood to use technology, they will. Otherwise, the district’s significant investment in new learning technologies may sit idly by, gathering dust.

For technology to be an integral part of a school district’s strategic improvement plan, technology directors must outline and communicate specific goals to all stakeholders. Then, they must measure progress toward that goal, continually coaching and improving as necessary.

Developing common language

The first step is to develop a common language. The education community works diligently to ensure its members have a common understanding around most aspects of instruction. For instance, if asked, “What does it mean to teach fractions effectively?” a school’s math department probably has a standard definition by which to measure learning outcomes against a stated objective. But if asked, “What does it mean to use technology effectively to teach fractions?” that’s another question altogether, and one where responses likely diverge.

Just as a school or district develops a common understanding of what effectively teaching a concept looks like, developing a similar definition for effectively teaching with technology is a must. Once established, schools can design professional development and classroom behaviors around this standard.

In developing a common understanding, school and district leaders should focus on teaching and learning, and not on the technology itself. Begin by asking questions such as: “How should instruction look?” and “What kind of learning do we want to see?” Next, leaders should outline attributes they would like to see realized in the classroom, such as students developing higher-order thinking skills; project-based and authentic learning; collaborative, personalized, and rigorous learning.  Once a common language is established, district and school leaders can begin building a vision that will be clearly defined – and understood.

Various models

Models that describe the effective use of ed-tech already exist, and they can help decision makers as they bring their vision for technology use to life.

For example, the LoTi (for Levels of Teaching Innovation) model defines technology use from Level 0 (non-use) through Level 6 (Refinement). Another model, Grappling’s Technology and Learning Spectrum, defines ed-tech use as a three-step progression: from technology literacy, to adapting, to transforming.

The Technology Integration Matrix, developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at the University of South Florida College of Education, outlines five levels of performance: Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Infusion, and Transformation. Five learning characteristics are described at each of these levels, including: Active, Collaborative, Constructive, Authentic, and Goal-Directed.

Using a model is highly effective for any entity in the education space. Promethean’s model, which guides the development of all its educational technology products, believes that ed-tech must enhance four critical capabilities for teachers, students and schools: increase student engagement, provide learning feedback, personalize instruction, and foster collaboration. Within each capability, products must allow for the three teaching and learning modalities of developing, applying, and creating.

Whether using an existing model or creating a model, districts must establish a vision for effectively teaching and learning with technology. Then, they can start to measuring progress toward their vision by collecting data.

Classroom walkthroughs

While districts should spotlight stories that demonstrate successful use of technology, it’s important to remember that anecdotal evidence doesn’t paint a complete picture of what’s going on in classrooms. It represents one sample. Peering past the ‘pixie dust’ of technology features and functions will uncover patterns of use or non-use and allow us to see what’s really happening

Collecting data is critical to this effort. One of the best ways to collect data is walking through your building, looking in classrooms, and observing how technology is being used. The point is not to use this information in a punitive way, but as a snapshot of where you are – and what actions you need to take in order to improve.

As the director of instructional technology for Georgia’s Forsyth County Schools, I conducted numerous classroom walkthroughs and developed professional learning plans based on this information. After doing more than 2,100 walkthroughs in Forsyth County, I firmly believe they should not be done alone. By conducting walkthroughs as a group, more in-depth and reliable data is collected, and the team of stakeholders can collaborate after the fact about what they observed.

The selected technology use model will determine what data to collect during walkthroughs. It will indicate the characteristics to observe and offer guidance on how to tally the observations. Many models encourage observers to create a summary of the lesson activities observed. In my experience, it’s also advisable to create a short coaching statement for the teachers observed in a given walkthrough that guide a teacher on next steps for technology integration in their classroom.

 

To delve even deeper into your schools’ technology use, focus observations and efforts on key areas for students and teachers:

  • Look at the work product students are producing.
    • Are all of the products exactly the same?
    • Does the student work simply report back facts or does it go beyond existing information?
  • Look at teachers’ lesson plans.
    • Is there evidence of project-based learning?
    • Do the plans suggest that students have ownership of their own learning?
    • Is there evidence that formative assessment information is being used to adjust the instruction?
  • Talk with your teachers, students, and parents.
    • Ask about the best examples they have seen of technology use in the school.
    • Where do those examples fall within the technology integration model for your school or district?
    • Are the examples similar across stakeholder groups or is there some difference?

Use all of this information to assess the district’s current standing with technology use. Now ask, do practices match the goals set as a district?

Look for patterns, such as an over-emphasis on teacher-led instruction, a lack of instruction guided by formative assessment data, or student projects that don’t involve collaboration, which can lead to better insights into where to focus professional development efforts. Also make sure to coach for better performance. The old saying, “There is no finish line,” rings true. Even when effective technology use is realized, encouraging continuous improvement of performance ensures students always receive the highest level of instruction.

Next steps

Four more strategies that can help make change happen in schools and districts includes:

Practice rating ed-tech use as a group. Look at several examples together, whether from one’s own district, from YouTube, or an online teaching and learning community. Free online communities, such as Promethean Planet, that contain pedagogically sound video resources can help start conversations about technology in the classroom: what works, what needs to be improved, and so on.

Have teachers observe each other. Peer-to-peer learning is a profound form of professional development. Giving teachers opportunities to see examples from their colleagues’ instruction can help visibly move the needle. In order to make observation a reality, be a resource that supports your teachers. Assist with scheduling, make connections between teachers who can learn from each other, and provide information to help guide their discussions.

Build a library of exemplary lessons. Ask teachers to share their most effective lesson plans utilizing technology to transform learning. If possible, record short videos of these lessons. Collect lessons and videos in a single repository that educators can easily access to see examples of success.

Celebrate every success. Moving from point A to point Z takes time. Changing and improving technology usage during instruction is a continuum. It’s important to acknowledge each small step taken toward the end goal.

Everyone in your school or district can be working toward the same goal of ensuring that educational technology investments effectively transform teaching and learning. The first step is aligning to a common vision for effective ed-tech use followed with a means of measuring progress and a system for continual improvement. After all, to reach the same place, we must start with the same goal in mind. Unless your goal is the power of flight – then I recommend pixie dust.

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The former Director of Instructional Technology for the Forsyth County Schools in Georgia, Jill Hobson is now Senior Education Strategist for Promethean. She can be reached for questions at [email protected]

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

Mainstream Technology Gives Lift to Assistive Learning

The concept of assistive technology to help special education students achieve more in K-12 classrooms is nothing new, but the portability of many of the devices is a relatively new trend that is making a big impact on the ways students with special needs learn. Assistive technology devices used to be big, clunky pieces of equipment that drew attention to learning and physical disabilities. Today, assistive devices are often the save types of technology K-12 students are using in traditional classrooms and there is a “coolness” factor in both instances.

The way that assistive technology looks is just one aspect of the effectiveness of the educational equipment, though. The use of assistive technology is also changing to provide students with more customized learning experiences. Studies show that dropout rates for special education students are on the decline – at least partially because the technology exists to keep these kids comfortable and in class longer than in the past.

Strides in Arizona

In December, the Arizona Department of Education announced a $260,000 federal grant among traditional public and charter schools in 12 districts to aid specifically with assistive education efforts. Through the grant, students with special needs can get personalized technology for iPads, notebook-size word processors and electronic pens that can scan words and display definitions. All of these efforts are intended to keep special education students in the K-12 system through graduation by having the technology to keep up in class.

This is not the first effort by the state to give an advantage to students with special learning needs. To help with the small technology budgets, the Education Department has an assistive-technology loan library on the Northern Arizona University campus. Last year, schools checked out over 2,000 items – ranging from pencil grips to iPads – to allow teachers and students to give the devices a trial run before the district made the purchase.
The assistive technology initiatives in Arizona district place traditional classroom inclusion on a pedestal with a heavy emphasis on technology. What administrators are finding is that non-verbal kids with devices prove they know a lot more than ever they themselves realize. Students with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders that impair speech are reaping the benefits of these devices and feeling successful. Best of all: the students are developing better relationships with one another.

Autism and iPads

Depending who you ask, the iPad has varying effects on children with autism – but most parents and teachers would say that the device has made in-roads in their students’ attitude about learning. Experts at Apple say that iPads “cure” sensory overload and give autism children control, along with a way they can communicate effectively. Using less extreme language, researchers at Vanderbilt University say that speech-generating devices, like iPads, can encourage late-speaking children with autism spectrum disorders to speak, even from the ages of 5 to 8. In other words, the basic technology that is readily available in classrooms and many households is also effective in learning initiatives for children with a specific disorder that impacts traditional learning.

The iPad is just one example. E-readers with screen variance in size of font, brightness and even speaking command options make in-classroom learning possible for children with sight obstacles. Students who need extra help learning to read can spend that extra time with e-readers or computer programs that customize the experience. Students with physical disabilities can sit at a regular computer in a traditional classroom and use specific equipment or simply their voices to achieve the same academic results as their peers.

As assistive technology continues to integrate with typical technology, the students are the beneficiaries. The technology is not enough to keep them in their seats if they are not comfortable using it.

How has the assistive technology of the past few years had a positive impact in your classrooms?

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