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This is a site filled with resources for students. It is designed to "help students improve their technology proficiency as they prepare for success in the 21st Century." Topics range from Digital Footprint to Cyber Safety to Search Strategies to Troubleshooting to Career Prep to Mobile Learning to ???? This is maintained by 3 Michigan Intermediate School Districts.
Pages
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Learning Makes a Difference 03/17/2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Building Learning throughTechnology Integration
flickr.com/schopie1 |
Integrating
digital technologies into your curriculum is much more than just adding
a computer to the lesson. Technology must be considered as a tool that
will support learning experiences. It must be selected based upon
pedagogical needs rather than the other way around.
Effective
learning involves challenging learners with situations that are
relevant to their lives and are challenging enough to interest them and
engage them in the learning process. When educators discuss levels of
intellectual challenge, they typically compare higher-order thinking to lower-order thinking. These terms are best described by using Bloom's Taxonomy.
Thinking Blooms
Bloom's
Taxonomy was first published in 1954 when Benjamin Bloom and his
colleagues wanted to create a hierarchy of terms that they could use
when they were describing various types of questions that they might use
on a test. Since then, the taxonomy has taken on a broader meaning
which educators used to also describe educational activities.
In
the 1990s, one of Bloom's students, Lorin Anderson, lead a group of
cognitive psychologists who reconsidered Bloom's taxonomy and reworked
it to reflect 21st century learning. You will notice that the new
taxonomy has changed the static verbs to active verbs by adding "ing" to
the end. They also removed Synthesis and placed Creating on the top.
This
tool has been aligned with 21st Century in many ways. Andrew Churches
in New Zealand has provided a digital perspective where he begins provides
Bloom's Taxonomy with a context and then identifies a number of digital
tools that can be grouped into each level.
Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally.
Churches demonstrates that the Higher-Order Thinking skills are the top
three verbs, Analyzing, Evaluating and Creating. The Lower-Order
Thinking skills are the bottom three verbs, Remembering, Understanding
and Applying.
Kathy Schrock and Samantha Penney have used a more graphical format to align Web 2.0 tools with the new version
of Bloom's Taxonomy. Kathy limits her work to Google tools while
Samantha expands it to a wide variety of Web 2.0 tools. Carefully review
these sites to provide a background for your later assignment.
Is
there any sense in classifying teaching strategies, questions, Web 2.0
tools using an organizer like Bloom's Taxonomy? Can pedagogical
activities actually be restricted to one of 6 classifications? Probably
not. Grouping tools like these are designed to provide vocabulary for
discussions between professionals. Using these classifications I can
distinguish teaching for memorization or developing problem-solving
skills.
Adding Technology to the Mix
Technology
can be used in a learning environment but will it make a difference? It
all depends on HOW technology is used. Like Bloom's Taxonomy,
technology can be integrated in a variety of ways. These may include
teachers who operate at a basic level by using PowerPoint presentations
to support their lecture-driven methods. They also include the teachers
who step back and encourage students to use these tools in innovative
ways to create new projects and experiences.
The
problem has been to find a vocabulary to define these various levels of
integration. Apple Computer sponsored a decade-long research project
entitled Apple Classrooms of the Tomorrow (ACOT). This project involved
providing technology-rich classrooms by filling them with Apple IIgs
computers AND providing one for each of the students' homes (20th
century 1:1 computing.) As they examined the various levels on which
teachers used technology, they identified a 5 stages including: Entry,
Adoption, Adaption, Appropriation, and Innovation. Read the article, What is Effective Integration of Technology, and Does It Make a Difference by Debra Rein.
It is a short article, but it provides a background for the ACOT
Evolution of Thought and Practice. Please note that these levels of
adoption exist in any teaching/learning situation whether it is in
corporate, PK-12 or post-secondary settings.
Watch this video on Edutopia and decide where each of the examples lie on the ACOT continuum.
SAMR - Substitute/Augment/Modify/Redefine
Another model that is popular in the schools today is the SAMR model. It was developed by Ruben R. Puentedura, Ph.D. to describe a ladder of implementation that occurs as you integrate technology into your curriculum.
Here is a video that describes the four levels of SAMR:
Dr. Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D. http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/ |
Here is a video that describes the four levels of SAMR:
Did it make sense? Would you be able to identify and define the 4 levels of SAMR?
If not, here is a Pinterest board that I found that is dedicated to SAMR. Did you find anything that better fit your learning style?
How would you match the ACOT 5 stages and the SAMR model? Do they directly link to one another?
ACOT 5 Stages SAMR
Entry Simulation
Adoption Augmentation
Adaption Modification
Appropriation Redefinition
Innovation
If not, here is a Pinterest board that I found that is dedicated to SAMR. Did you find anything that better fit your learning style?
How would you match the ACOT 5 stages and the SAMR model? Do they directly link to one another?
ACOT 5 Stages SAMR
Entry Simulation
Adoption Augmentation
Adaption Modification
Appropriation Redefinition
Innovation
Technology Integration Matrix (TIM)
The
key to successful integration requires a system to integrate the
research on Learning Environments with what has been learned about
technology adoption. In 2005, the Florida Department of Education created their Technology Integration Matrix (TIM).
This is a matrix that uses a series of 5 steps in technology adoption
that is similar to the ACOT set. It also has a set of desired learning
environment characteristics which include Active, Collaborative, Constructive, Authentic and Goal-Directed.
Go see TIM and play around for a while to see what they have to offer. You will even find some cells with video examples of lessons in a variety of subjects.
http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/download/tim_table_of_summary_indicators.pdf |
You will also want to visit the Arizona flavor of this matrix. It is essentially the same but it has video examples sorted by grade level. NOTE: My students like the Arizona TIM better than the Florida TIM. They have rewritten the descriptions and are easier to understand. They have sharp lesson plans that have been aligned with the Common Core state standards and provide assessments. It is a GREAT resource.
NOTE: I have been looking for such a matrix that displays this in a corporate training format, but to no avail.
Barriers to Technology Integration
Change
is not always easy. Even if an innovation can obviously improve
learning situations, there are a number of things that can get in the
way. In some cases it has to do with institutional barriers that get in
the way. Review (look for the highpoints) an article, Barriers to Adopting Emerging Technologies in Education by Rogers. This article looks at potential problems in the PK-12 as well as the University level schools.
Sometimes
the problem is in the attitudes and belief systems of the teachers.
This is another article which explores the Beliefs and Practices of
teachers in the ACOT study.
Changes in Teacher's Beliefs and Practices in Technology-Rich Classrooms by Dwyer, Ringstaff and Sandholtz
YOUR CHALLENGE:
Technology integration has many faces. The Entry levels of adoption are not bad to use in the classroom. Sometimes slideshows are the most efficient way to convey information. The key is to move deftly along the continuum to ensure that your learners are engaging into their learning experiences.
The key to using the matrix is to identify where your learning activities reside on the TIM. Are you in the Adoption-Collaborative cell? Are you in the Transformation-Authentic cell? This is not a perfect science but it is a way for you to examine what you are doing and provide it a label. Once you have identified what you are doing, you can then look for ways to move it it up the line.
Look at your teaching/learning/experiences and find 5 instances of technology integration in your special
field of interest. You may find these in your classroom, in the room next door, on videos, on
paper or ????? The key is that you consider this important to your field of teaching and it is worth your time to evaluate.
NOTE: Do NOT emphasize a technology tool. This challenge asks you to find an actual teaching/learning experience where a technology tool is used as part of lesson. The tool is not the center of this activity but rather what can be done using that tool.
NOTE: Do NOT emphasize a technology tool. This challenge asks you to find an actual teaching/learning experience where a technology tool is used as part of lesson. The tool is not the center of this activity but rather what can be done using that tool.
Spend a little time and evaluate it by:
- Describing the example including level, subject, intended outcome and process.
- Identifying the cell on the TIM into which it would be classified.
- Explain why you classified it into that cell. What are the attributes that cause it to fit into that section?
- Explain how this would fit into your world of teaching/learning. How would/could you use it in your classroom? If you don't have a classroom yet, then place it into the classroom where you intend to work.
BAM!!!! Take it up a notch.
Select 3 of your examples
and consider how you would reorganize this lesson to move it to another
level. This means that after you have identified the cell where one
specific lesson's activities exist, you will identify changes you could
make in how you are designing the lesson's activities to move it to
another cell that is "Up a notch." You MUST identify the specific
coordinates of the cell where you are moving the lesson.
Now that you know where you are, let's do some traveling.
- The Characteristics are not in any sequence, so how would you take it to another characteristic?
- The Technology is in a sequence so you will need to move it to the right. Moving it to the right requires you, the teacher, to relinquish some control to your students. It is a process that allows your students to take on greater roles as problem-solvers.
What Should I Do?
Not that you have done this work, what should you do with it? Use it!!! You have made a change in your teaching strategies, so use it.
Want a place to share your ideas? Add them as a comment to this post.
I hope that this is will be the beginning of a series of writings that I will share here and in the future.
Please respond and give me feedback about how you are using the TIM to help you expand your teaching.
Z
Friday, March 15, 2013
Learning Makes a Difference 03/15/2013
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Tech Learning : The State of STEM
Interesting article in Tech & Learning about STEM. Describes Obama's "Educate to Innovate" and STEM's Report Card which is a report card that says less than 1/2 of respondents have a STEM program in their schools. Discusses future of STEM.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Using Digital Learning to Promote Deeper Thinking
Digital Learning is NOT about computers.
Digital learning IS about incorporating the new access to information and tools that is available through technology. This increased access provides learners with an opportunity to make learning meaningful. It enables them to feel as though they are integral in the learning process.
GettingSmart.com has created the infographic below to demonstrate how a variety of tools create opportunities for students to become involved in deeper learning.
Getting Smart also has released a 28-page report of How Digital Learning Contributes to Deeper Learning. This report is downloadable and it is FILLED with suggestions and resources for making learning meaningful to students. This is a MUST READ report for educators who want to make learning more than memorizing facts.
Digital learning IS about incorporating the new access to information and tools that is available through technology. This increased access provides learners with an opportunity to make learning meaningful. It enables them to feel as though they are integral in the learning process.
GettingSmart.com has created the infographic below to demonstrate how a variety of tools create opportunities for students to become involved in deeper learning.
Getting Smart also has released a 28-page report of How Digital Learning Contributes to Deeper Learning. This report is downloadable and it is FILLED with suggestions and resources for making learning meaningful to students. This is a MUST READ report for educators who want to make learning more than memorizing facts.
Related articles
Monday, February 18, 2013
Second Life: Another Perspective on Virtual Reality
Creating an
account is the first step in exploring Second Life. It is simple to create your
account and define yourself with an avatar. You can begin by exploring the many
lands that populate Second Life for free. Later you may want to create your own
space by buying a plot of land for a minimal cost. You can create your own land
of imagination and elaborate your dreams in ways that can only be explained
through experience.
Second Life is
actively used in education. It is estimated that as many as 300 higher
education organizations teach courses or conduct research in Second Life. Here
is a directory of academic organizations who have a
presence. Eighth grade through twelfth
grade schools had a presence in Second Life until 2011 when Linden closed the Teen
Second Life Grid.
Innovative
technology has been integrated to the training sessions in many of the
companies and organizations. Companies use Second Life for product demos,
virtual fairs, or 3D presentation of
data. Virtual training can be presented in a gaming format. Virtual learning
environments can be enriched with embedded Youtube videos, slide shows, and
even links to websites outside of Second Life.
Want to get started? Here is a blog posting giving step-by-step
instructions on creating an account in Second Life: http://goo.gl/nBL1Z
- Second Life in Higher Education
- Second Life Language Learning Video
- Science Learning Opportunities in Second Life
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Student-Centered Online Learning?
Student-Centered Online Learning? Is it possible?
This is one thing that I have been having problems with in my online learning classes. Years ago, I was teaching online though Adobe Connect and some other video conferencing tools but I was unsatisfied. I wanted all of us to be able to see each other online, but we just didn't have the bandwidth. I would complain to our technical gurus but they just reminded me of the laws of physics that limited the amount of data that could be shoved through a digital hose at one time.
So, I began to teach online like the rest of the professors where the students watched me and then responded by typing their comments in the chat box (see lower left box above.) The problem was that it was too ME-centered. Yes, some of you may have just dropped your gum hearing me say that, but learning isn't about the teacher talking. It is about the students interacting in the process of discovering new ideas.
Anyway, this is the way that I have been using video conferencing as a teaching tool for the past couple of years and it has been less than rewarding. I would talk and students would type. I was proud of my ability to read the scrolling written discussion as I spoke and incorporating it into my talk without a stutter. It just didn't have the interaction that I typically have in a face-to-face classroom.
Last semester I was teaching my Selection and Integration of Instructional Technologies course to our Instructional Technology Masters students. One of the assignments involves small groups of students finding journal articles that relate to our study module. They lead online written discussions about the articles but then they also have to lead a video-conferenced discussion as well. This process involves these students using their webcams to show their likenesses and then leading the discussion. Please note, I (Dr. Z) turn off my webcam AND mute my microphone so that I have no input into the discussion except for an occasional text message telling them that we need to "move on."
I LOVED this!!!! This is the way it SHOULD be!!!! Students are sharing their ideas and leading the discussion. They are taking control of their own learning and I am sitting at the side guiding the process in a forwardly direction - whatever that may mean.
SOOOOOOOO, I am teaching my Selection and Integration class again this semester. I have been talking and the students have been typing in the notes section. We haven't begun the Articles assignment yet, but I wanted to get the students more involved tonight. The question was - How?
I begin each class (before we begin recording) by verbally greeting each student. I expect them to respond verbally. I even ask them to use their webcam when available, but they seem a little shy for that. Tonight, we were discussing the definition of Literacy and New Literacies. I began the discussion but asked students to use their webcams when they responded. It was slow at first, but most of them allowed us to see them as they spoke. I shared the screen with them for while, but eventually turned it off and the light "only shone on them." I spoke to provide some direction occasionally, but found that just sitting quietly when students weren't talking was quite successful because teachers can't stand "Dead Air" and they rush to fill the void.
As class proceeded, the students took over. See the screenshot ↑↑↑↑↑ UP THERE ↑↑↑↑↑ The students are in charge and Dr. Z is no where to be seen. HOOORAY!!!
It was a successful evening and I look forward to our future discussions. Many of the students mentioned that they enjoyed the process and looked forward to doing it next week and in the future.
I believe that this is a significant step in my journey to make my online courses more student-centered. Online learning is not necessarily 21st century learning. It can be just as 19th century as boring lectures in the flesh only they can do more damage across a larger stretch of land. =-)
The key is in the pedagogical design that places students at the center of their learning experiences.
What do you do to help your students take control of their learning in your online courses?
Z
Related articles
Saturday, January 26, 2013
EduCon 2.5 in Philly this Weekend!!!
Here are the guiding principles behind EduCon
- Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members.
- Our schools must be about co-creating — together with our students — the 21st Century Citizen.
- Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around.
- Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate, and collaborate.
- Learning can — and must — be networked.
You can see the schedule of presentations down the right side of the page.
Wish I was there, but instead I can watch the conversations through live streaming video. You can TOOO!
- You have to begin by signing up and creating a profile. http://educonphilly.org/
register - Go to the Conversations and find ones that interest you. http://educonphilly.org/conversations
- You just need to select the conversation and then sign-in.
- The list of conversations look appetizing and the people presenting them are leaders in our field. These aren't lectures, they are interactive sessions with attendees discussing ideas and the presenters facilitating discussion.
- You can watch it occur as it happens because they are using YouTube Broadcast to stream the presentations. The greatest part is that if you miss a session, the session is posted immediately for your enjoyment.
You can also follow some of the happenings through Twitter using #educon
This is a MUST experience.
Good luck and enjoy your first Virtual conference.
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