Overall, I got a sense of how key mentoring can be to getting technology in the classrooms. Another avenue to get teachers exposed to the tools available, even if admin isn't in support (poor Heather).
Heather and her mentor showed exemplary flexibility in dealing with the lack of support from their district tech person. A value I realized is key when working with technology. Things fail, the internet goes down, installations don't happen on time. It is important to have a 'go with the flow', flexible attitude so you can move forward instead of getting bogged down and quitting.
Jonathan experienced another road block I hadn't thought of, knowing the basics before introducing technology tools. I can only imagine as I struggled through my first year of teaching how much more stressed I had been if I had to also implement new technology! It seems either the technology or subject basics must be solid before adding one or the other. It would be ideal to use technology as you initially create your lessons but if those tech skills aren't already there it becomes too much and needs to be implemented once a foundation is in place.
Barbra continued to astound me with her knowledge. How does one become so proficient at data analysis? I was in awe of her helpful feedback on so many blogs. I made a plea to her via twitter to share some resources and sites to this newbie!
I loved Ginger's presentation and realized I need variety and movement to keep my attention. Her slides, font, and tone of voice kept me engaged from beginning to end. Something to keep in mind as I work on future presentations as a teacher and a student. She took me full circle to TLAP: hook, engage, layer.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
670 Reflection Week 7
Play is where it's at. Chris and I concurred playfulness is a big part of learning so why are 'humor, gaming, and creating art discouraged'. Chris introduced me to a Common Core Aligned Game Show that he was developing. Talk about being creative!
Thomas and I discussed actions speaking louder than words. I reflected on a recent parenting moment I'd witnessed that addressed just that. Something to keep in mind as a leader to my students and my children. We also agreed that risks are required for growth. So why not plan for it?
Colin reinforced the importance of collaboration. That we are in this together, we should listen to each other, delegate, and realize there is always someone more competent than you at something. The goal being to come up with the best possible answer, not to compete to be the person with the best answer. After all, our end result should be focussed on what is best for our students.
I reflected with Tiffany and Chris about innovation. I had just finished watching A Christmas Story and was was struck by the fact that every aspect of the movie seemed so old fashioned (the cars, mother’s role, toys) except for the classroom which was very similar to how it is now! How is it that change has happened politically, personally, commercially but not educationally? It's time for innovation. Pixar & Apple, seem to have fostering creativity worked out. I know I’d love to work in either environment. Why don't we start with taking a small page from their books toward innovating education?
Above image retrieved from http://behappy.me/we-dont-stop-playing-because-we-grow-old-we-grow-old-because-we-stop-playing
Thomas and I discussed actions speaking louder than words. I reflected on a recent parenting moment I'd witnessed that addressed just that. Something to keep in mind as a leader to my students and my children. We also agreed that risks are required for growth. So why not plan for it?
Colin reinforced the importance of collaboration. That we are in this together, we should listen to each other, delegate, and realize there is always someone more competent than you at something. The goal being to come up with the best possible answer, not to compete to be the person with the best answer. After all, our end result should be focussed on what is best for our students.
I reflected with Tiffany and Chris about innovation. I had just finished watching A Christmas Story and was was struck by the fact that every aspect of the movie seemed so old fashioned (the cars, mother’s role, toys) except for the classroom which was very similar to how it is now! How is it that change has happened politically, personally, commercially but not educationally? It's time for innovation. Pixar & Apple, seem to have fostering creativity worked out. I know I’d love to work in either environment. Why don't we start with taking a small page from their books toward innovating education?
Above image retrieved from http://behappy.me/we-dont-stop-playing-because-we-grow-old-we-grow-old-because-we-stop-playing
Friday, December 6, 2013
Mentoring Paper
Can mentoring a colleague to implement one iPad in each classroom impact teachers' use of iPads and students' learning?
Background:
The goal of my mentoring project was to help find uses for one iPad in the classroom. I mentored my friend, a part time librarian, and her coworker, the full time librarian integrate one iPad in each classroom of their grade 3 - 6 elementary school. They requested assistance with finding possible apps the teachers can use on their new iPads with their students.
I felt this was a good project as there was an actual request for mentoring. I am interested in iPad applications myself, and my children would likely benefit from this too as they attend this school. I had sent them a few ideas to get them started and had a teacher contact me for specific math apps for students who planned to be absent. The feedback was very positive so I felt I could be of good use to them. I wanted to mentor this person because she is a friend of mine with an expressed need. She is the part-time librarian, I was also familiar with her coworker, the full time librarian, who spearheaded this technological movement. I helped them gather potential uses for one iPad in the classroom along with implementation guidelines and recommendations.
Literature Review:
Mentoring is…
an on-going relationship, voluntary, based on confidentiality and trust, active listening, guiding and sharing, a workplace partnership. (The Aged Care)
Mentoring involves…
sharing information in confidence, an informal plan, a schedule for communications, encouraging protege to write a list of questions. (wikiHOW)
Mentoring skills…
create open and supportive climate for discussion, demonstrate good listening/follow-up skills, provide constructive feedback and advice. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
Mentoring motivation and rewards...
"By using your influence and resources as a decision maker, you can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. You might be surprised by how much you will benefit as well." (MENTOR)
Methodology:
I helped them gather potential uses for one iPad in the classroom along with implementation guidelines and recommendations. A simple google search gave me multiple sites that helped me on my trek to discover potential iPad uses. I also followed the #ipaded hashtag on TweetDeck for ideas and advice. And appreciated any input from my classmates via our blogs and Twitter sessions. I took a week to collect ideas, we weeded through the material together, then planned to distribute our findings to the teachers while gathering their input as to their needs/desires. This is where the best laid plans took a turn. We intended to repeat and fine tune this process the next week until suitable uses were found. I then intended to help organize a meeting with the teachers to introduce the apps and make myself available to my friend the following week to help troubleshoot any issues. The meeting to introduce the apps to the teachers never came to be. There were grand ideas to have an 'Apps with Apps' night, appetizers and iPad navigations to explore best possible apps to be used. But it never got off the ground, coordinating times never seemed possible and the semester continued to pick up speed for all parties involved. Instead the iPads were released to teachers and specific app suggestions were handed out upon request of the teacher so as not to overwhelm them with our compilation of possibilities. 'Apps with Apps' night is still in the works but has been put on the back burner for the moment. I continued to check in weekly and provide further research where needed. We still are having an open conversation.
I collected data through my own reflective journal after each interaction.
Results:
I had a pretty strong read from my observations on the apps being positively received. Within the first week of providing a list of apps for my mentee, I was approached by another teacher in the building for help finding subject specific apps for two of her students to use on their own iPads at home. I quickly sent a list off to which she responded, "Wow! Thank you". I also ran into another parent around town two weeks later who thanked me for the apps, the librarian had passed my list on to her, and she was extremely grateful to have a 'guide' for apps for her kids to use rather than 'spending two or more hours every night' searching and not finding much. There seems to be a definite need for assistance in wading through the endless apps available. In week 5 the head librarian personally thanked me for the provided apps and that she has been sharing the list around school and the community. She was planning an 'apps with apps' meeting and wanted me in attendance. She was grateful but uncertain about being able to setting time for meeting in the near future.
My own child's teacher has the iPad in her class and occasionally lets students use it as another computing device for online exercises. It has not been used beyond that as far as he reports.
Discussion:
Overall, it was a mainly successful endeavor however I need to keep the ball rolling. It was easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the year and push this project aside for both myself and my mentee. But we are not finished yet. She has requested assistance using the Reflector app which we both believe will open doors for many new uses of the iPads for the teachers. I will attend their meeting to introduce apps to the teachers and will observe the teachers' responses and their embracing or ignoring of the apps presented at that time. I anticipate positive results as the teachers seem ready and eager to embrace technology and have the continued support of the librarian team to be successful. The shear volume of apps available is definitely overwhelming for many, so it is useful to have a PLN to help navigate and share findings with. Finally, we must remember to have patience. Technology integration takes time and will evolve as needs and opportunities arise.
Resources:
The Aged Care. Mentoring Colleagues. Retrieved from
http://www.accreditation.org.au/upload/images/Mentoring%20colleagues%20-%20Anne%20Ivanson%20and%20Lois%20Knox.pdf
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Mentoring and Coaching Skills. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/students/gatheringplace/coach/
wikiHOWto do anything. How to Become a Mentor for Young Work Colleagues. Retrieved from
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Mentor-for-Young-Work-Colleagues
Andrea Stineff
University of Alaska Southeast
Fall 2013
Background:
The goal of my mentoring project was to help find uses for one iPad in the classroom. I mentored my friend, a part time librarian, and her coworker, the full time librarian integrate one iPad in each classroom of their grade 3 - 6 elementary school. They requested assistance with finding possible apps the teachers can use on their new iPads with their students.
I felt this was a good project as there was an actual request for mentoring. I am interested in iPad applications myself, and my children would likely benefit from this too as they attend this school. I had sent them a few ideas to get them started and had a teacher contact me for specific math apps for students who planned to be absent. The feedback was very positive so I felt I could be of good use to them. I wanted to mentor this person because she is a friend of mine with an expressed need. She is the part-time librarian, I was also familiar with her coworker, the full time librarian, who spearheaded this technological movement. I helped them gather potential uses for one iPad in the classroom along with implementation guidelines and recommendations.
Literature Review:
Mentoring is…
an on-going relationship, voluntary, based on confidentiality and trust, active listening, guiding and sharing, a workplace partnership. (The Aged Care)
Mentoring involves…
sharing information in confidence, an informal plan, a schedule for communications, encouraging protege to write a list of questions. (wikiHOW)
Mentoring skills…
create open and supportive climate for discussion, demonstrate good listening/follow-up skills, provide constructive feedback and advice. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
Mentoring motivation and rewards...
"By using your influence and resources as a decision maker, you can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. You might be surprised by how much you will benefit as well." (MENTOR)
Methodology:
I helped them gather potential uses for one iPad in the classroom along with implementation guidelines and recommendations. A simple google search gave me multiple sites that helped me on my trek to discover potential iPad uses. I also followed the #ipaded hashtag on TweetDeck for ideas and advice. And appreciated any input from my classmates via our blogs and Twitter sessions. I took a week to collect ideas, we weeded through the material together, then planned to distribute our findings to the teachers while gathering their input as to their needs/desires. This is where the best laid plans took a turn. We intended to repeat and fine tune this process the next week until suitable uses were found. I then intended to help organize a meeting with the teachers to introduce the apps and make myself available to my friend the following week to help troubleshoot any issues. The meeting to introduce the apps to the teachers never came to be. There were grand ideas to have an 'Apps with Apps' night, appetizers and iPad navigations to explore best possible apps to be used. But it never got off the ground, coordinating times never seemed possible and the semester continued to pick up speed for all parties involved. Instead the iPads were released to teachers and specific app suggestions were handed out upon request of the teacher so as not to overwhelm them with our compilation of possibilities. 'Apps with Apps' night is still in the works but has been put on the back burner for the moment. I continued to check in weekly and provide further research where needed. We still are having an open conversation.
I collected data through my own reflective journal after each interaction.
Results:
I started with researching recommended subject-specific apps and sharing them with my mentee. This got her motivated and she returned to me with apps of her own she found and requested recommendations of apps currently being used by teachers. With so many apps available, having reviews from teachers actually using them was a huge filter for weeding through the masses. We kept in weekly contact troubleshooting and evaluating apps as they came across them.
I had a pretty strong read from my observations on the apps being positively received. Within the first week of providing a list of apps for my mentee, I was approached by another teacher in the building for help finding subject specific apps for two of her students to use on their own iPads at home. I quickly sent a list off to which she responded, "Wow! Thank you". I also ran into another parent around town two weeks later who thanked me for the apps, the librarian had passed my list on to her, and she was extremely grateful to have a 'guide' for apps for her kids to use rather than 'spending two or more hours every night' searching and not finding much. There seems to be a definite need for assistance in wading through the endless apps available. In week 5 the head librarian personally thanked me for the provided apps and that she has been sharing the list around school and the community. She was planning an 'apps with apps' meeting and wanted me in attendance. She was grateful but uncertain about being able to setting time for meeting in the near future.
My own child's teacher has the iPad in her class and occasionally lets students use it as another computing device for online exercises. It has not been used beyond that as far as he reports.
Discussion:
Overall, it was a mainly successful endeavor however I need to keep the ball rolling. It was easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the year and push this project aside for both myself and my mentee. But we are not finished yet. She has requested assistance using the Reflector app which we both believe will open doors for many new uses of the iPads for the teachers. I will attend their meeting to introduce apps to the teachers and will observe the teachers' responses and their embracing or ignoring of the apps presented at that time. I anticipate positive results as the teachers seem ready and eager to embrace technology and have the continued support of the librarian team to be successful. The shear volume of apps available is definitely overwhelming for many, so it is useful to have a PLN to help navigate and share findings with. Finally, we must remember to have patience. Technology integration takes time and will evolve as needs and opportunities arise.
Resources:
The Aged Care. Mentoring Colleagues. Retrieved from
http://www.accreditation.org.au/upload/images/Mentoring%20colleagues%20-%20Anne%20Ivanson%20and%20Lois%20Knox.pdf
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Mentoring and Coaching Skills. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/students/gatheringplace/coach/
wikiHOWto do anything. How to Become a Mentor for Young Work Colleagues. Retrieved from
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Mentor-for-Young-Work-Colleagues
MENTOR. National Mentoring Partnership. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/for_mentors
NCWIT Mentoring-in-a-Box: Technical Women at Work. Mentoring Basics - A Mentor's Guide to Success. Retrieve from http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/IMentor_MentorGuide.pdf
Monday, December 2, 2013
670 Vision of Creative Leadership
My vision for creative leadership involves taking risks to break new ground, involving and valuing all members input, and creating an environment that fosters creativity and change.
Taking Risks to Break New Ground:
Travis Turner quoted "Creative leadership involves blowing up the status quo, and out of the chaos, building a new world." Zacko-Smith claimed "(creative) leaders make a conscious choice to search for new opportunities, invoking their own and others creative thinking in a deliberate manner." We can not be creative and innovative without taking risks and being okay with failure. A creative leader must plunge full force into status quo to make change.
Taking Risks to Break New Ground:
Travis Turner quoted "Creative leadership involves blowing up the status quo, and out of the chaos, building a new world." Zacko-Smith claimed "(creative) leaders make a conscious choice to search for new opportunities, invoking their own and others creative thinking in a deliberate manner." We can not be creative and innovative without taking risks and being okay with failure. A creative leader must plunge full force into status quo to make change.
Involve and Value All Members Input:
Zako-Smith states "…as leaders draw out and nurture others and the environments in which they work and live in so that creativity can flourish. Complex problems cannot, and should not, be solved by the leader alone. Thus, it becomes crucially important for leaders, both those in positions of authority and those who choose to make a difference through their influence, to deliberately engage in a process that draws on the creative thinking of others." Robinson seconds this stating that leaders must "consciously engage the whole staff in the creative life of an organization"and "Being a creative leader means ensuring that everyone in the organization is playing to their creative strengths and feels that their contribution is valued as a part of the overall performance of the organization." Each person in the organization has their own perspective and ideas on the organization, excluding any of those can lead to disgruntlement whereas including them gives the feeling of validity and worth plus invaluable insight.
Create an Environment that Fosters Creativity and Change:
Zako-Smith discusses the following Creativity Principles:
Use creative thinking to solve problems
Separate and balance divergence (generating many, diverse and original options) and convergence (selecting and developing most promising options)
Defer judgment
Use affirmative judgement
Allow incubation time (time to process ideas)
Create a climate for creativity and change (allowing for idea support, playfulness, freedom, trust and openness, debate, risk taking)
Robinson lists very similar environmental requirements for creativity to happen. Setting the physical and mental environment are key components to fostering creativity.
And I suppose the very first step to creative leadership would be stepping into action and leading. This quote posted on Jonathan Field's blog to inspire creativity, innovation and action says it succinctly.
"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fields, J. (2010). 55 Quotes to Inspire Creativity, Innovation, and Action. Retrieved from http://www.jonathanfields.com/55-quotes-creativity-innovation-action/
Robinson, K. (2012). Our of Our Minds: Learning To Be Creative.
School of One. New York State Department of Education. Retrieved from http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9435AD08-90F3-42AA-838C-6372C3B5D2E6/0/SchoolofOneBrochure_FINAL.pdf
Turner, T. (March 29, 2013). Cherry Truffle. Creative Leadership Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.creativeleader.com/creative-leadership-quotes/
Zacko-Smith, J.D. (2012). Creative Leadership: Its Meaning and Value For Science, Technology and Innovation. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1958027/CREATIVE_LEADERSHIP_ITS_MEANING_AND_VALUE_FOR_SCIENCE_TECHNOLOGY_AND_INNOVATION
Mentoring Project Presentation
Apparently my mic is really good. It even picked up my increasing frustration as my arrow keys refused to work...HA HA HA HA HA!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Reflection Week 12
Ahhh…Barbra and Tracie strike again! They're invaluable input has got me on target to 'hook' teachers to use the iPads and ween myself from mentoring duties. I had plans to follow up with a meeting to demonstrate apps they could use however I will also add to this blogs they can follow and ways for teachers to research apps in the future. Handing over the reins. Hmm… may be I'll even help them set up a blog for the staff to share their app findings with each other and the world.
Heather's post put my knowledge in perspective. I always assume people know what I do and therefore don't feel like I have anything special to share. This is true in all aspects of my life, not just technology. But Heather's explanation of her mentee not being comfortable with technology made me realize not everyone is on board the technology train. This has given me confidence to share what I know more freely rather than waiting to be asked. Big step.
Heather's post put my knowledge in perspective. I always assume people know what I do and therefore don't feel like I have anything special to share. This is true in all aspects of my life, not just technology. But Heather's explanation of her mentee not being comfortable with technology made me realize not everyone is on board the technology train. This has given me confidence to share what I know more freely rather than waiting to be asked. Big step.
670 Reflection Week 6
Thomas shared a great TED Talk about electronic tattoos. Definitely something to keep in mind as we share our thoughts and lives with the world. He agreed that "technology affords us many opportunities for creativity and self-actualization" as do I. But it was at this point that I found I was coming at the essential question from two sides: the students (digital natives) and the creators of the tech plan (digital
immigrants). And it got me thinking, are we trying to plan for and measure creativity, art, and collaboration that is already happening naturally for our students? Are we essentially then creating a document to catch up and fit with where our students are? It made me realize how important input from students is for tech planning. Tiffany also expressed that significant forms of creativity and ingenuity currently exist, siting YouTube as an example of art, collaboration, and science. I'm beginning to see the tech plan as a document to help the digital immigrants catch up to the natives.
Colin mentioned on my blog that he believed "within every organization a unique culture will evolve that sets what the current 'appropriate boundaries' are." I found that statement to be very true and had experienced just that myself this past week in communications with a group. There was just a sense of needing a more personal touch on the particular matter so I placed individual phone calls instead of sending a bulk email. The personal calls were very well received and I was glad I trusted my gut. So I wonder, can just trust people's intuition to know which form of digital communication is appropriate? And if this is the case, we wouldn't need to address emotional intelligence in a tech plan. Of course, individual personalities will lend themselves more easily to certain communications than others… oh man, just brought myself back full circle! No solid answers this week but lots of thoughts :)
immigrants). And it got me thinking, are we trying to plan for and measure creativity, art, and collaboration that is already happening naturally for our students? Are we essentially then creating a document to catch up and fit with where our students are? It made me realize how important input from students is for tech planning. Tiffany also expressed that significant forms of creativity and ingenuity currently exist, siting YouTube as an example of art, collaboration, and science. I'm beginning to see the tech plan as a document to help the digital immigrants catch up to the natives.
Colin mentioned on my blog that he believed "within every organization a unique culture will evolve that sets what the current 'appropriate boundaries' are." I found that statement to be very true and had experienced just that myself this past week in communications with a group. There was just a sense of needing a more personal touch on the particular matter so I placed individual phone calls instead of sending a bulk email. The personal calls were very well received and I was glad I trusted my gut. So I wonder, can just trust people's intuition to know which form of digital communication is appropriate? And if this is the case, we wouldn't need to address emotional intelligence in a tech plan. Of course, individual personalities will lend themselves more easily to certain communications than others… oh man, just brought myself back full circle! No solid answers this week but lots of thoughts :)
Saturday, November 23, 2013
670 Importance of Art, Collaboration and EI to Tech Planning
How is art, collaboration, and emotional intelligence important to technology planning in terms of process, and outcomes?
The essential question had me thinking of tech planning from two sides. The process, which includes the teachers and other staff creating the document. And the outcome, or the students who will be experiencing education as laid out by the tech plan.
For those creating and participating in the technology planning, I believe we are in this current state: "E-communications such as text messaging, instant messaging and even email have contributed to a decline in the quality of communication in the workplace." And so, "we must work to maintain and develop our EQ. Leaders who make a point to pick up the phone or walk into a colleague’s office will set an example for staff to limit digital messaging to simple, non-emotional issues. A simple awareness that our emotional intelligence is affected by our reliance on digital communication is a first step in improving the 21st century workplace. " (Larson) So from this perspective I believe EQ and collaboration are especially important in the process of technology planning. We are on the slippery slope, adapting to the fast changing technology thrust upon us, we must be sure to incorporate some feeling and face to face dialogue in the creation process as well as in the execution of the tech plan. Chernek found these tips to build a collaborative team based on EI:
"1. Vision creates the project's framework; passion holds it together.
2. Collaborators use humor and stamina to carry them through.
3. Collaborators know what they don't know and what they need.
4. Collaborators chip in when the reality of tasks become burdensome.
5. Collaborators rely on living discussions to keep projects flowing."
And in terms of outcomes (our students) we need creativity, art, and collaboration to avoid creating students like "The old computer nerd stereotype: the code monkey with his eyes glued to the screen, tapping away at his keyboard, and awkwardly avoiding interaction with anyone else in the office." (Saumell) However, students today seem to be all about creativity, art, and collaboration when using technology for their own personal use (see youtube). Emotional intelligence is the one area that appears to be lacking so it must be considered as part of the outcome of a technology plan.
We must remember "Being creative is not only about thinking: it is about feeling." (Robinson)
We must remember "Being creative is not only about thinking: it is about feeling." (Robinson)
Chernek, V. (January 8, 2008). NCTI. The Art of Collaboration Using Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2008/01/08/emotional-intelligence/
Larson, F. (Aug 14). TTI Success Insights. Technology's Effect on Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.ttisuccessinsights.com/blog/posts/technology-s-effect-on-emotional-intelligence
Robinson, K. (2011) Out of Our Minds.
Saumell, C. (May 14, 2013). AshleyEllis. Is Emotional Intelligence Important in Information Technology?
Friday, November 22, 2013
Mentoring Project Data Analysis
I mentored a part-time librarian, a friend and colleague, in uses and implementation of one iPad in each classroom at my child's grade three through six elementary school. The librarian purchased one iPad for each teacher and was looking for assistance in finding best uses and practices for the teachers with the new devices. They had approached me for help as they were not quite sure where to even begin. I started with researching recommended subject-specific apps and sharing them with my mentee. We then remained in regular weekly contact trouble shooting and evaluating the direction we were heading. I collected data through my own reflective journal after each interaction with my mentee. I also observed the teachers' responses and their embracing or ignoring of the apps presented, and planned to send a survey via survey monkey to the teachers if I did not get a good read from my observations. Since my child is a student in the school I also got a sense of the impact any apps had on his particular learning.
Reflective journal:
Week 1: We started off strong with me sending them a quick list of apps to explore and get a feel for what is out there. It was greatly appreciated and shared with any one who asked.
Week 2: Our next interaction she felt slightly overwhelmed on how to weed through the list ever growing list. We discussed looking at prices and reviews to start. She also asked specifically for some teacher approved apps.
Week 3: I responded with teacher recommended apps from classmates and on twitter as well as an image on keeping the use of technology on focus. This was met with gratitude and a calmer sense of this is doable.
Week 4: My mentee approached me with some apps to research which I followed up on and we then discussed getting together to look at and discuss apps. Definitely a sense that she needed more assistance.
Week 5: The librarian thanked me for the provided apps. She was planning an 'apps with apps' meeting and wanted me in attendance. Appeared very grateful but uncertain about being able to setting time for meeting in the near future.
Week 6: No correspondence.
Week 7: Sheepishly admitted teachers have been using iPads and just looking at list of potential apps as necessary. Still dedicated to having a bigger meeting to introduce more apps to teachers but appeared mildly embarrassed the meeting didn't happen first.
Observations of teachers:
Within the first week of providing a list of apps for my mentee, I was approached by another teacher in the building for help finding subject specific apps for two of her students. I quickly sent a list off to which she responded, "Wow! Thank you" and referred to me as a technology guru. I also ran into another parent around town two weeks later who thanked me for the apps, the librarian had passed my list on to her, and she was extremely grateful to have a 'guide' for apps for her kids to use rather than 'spending two or more hours every night' searching and not finding much. There seems to be a definite need for assistance in wading through the endless apps available.
Survey:
I felt I had a pretty strong read from my observations on how the apps were being received. Since we have yet to hold a meeting to formally introduce the implementation and uses of the iPads an survey of my mentee and teachers did not seem appropriate or necessary.
Student learning: My own child's teacher has the iPad in her class and occasionally lets students use it as another computing device for an online exercise. It has not been used beyond that as far as he reports.
Overall, it was a mainly successful endeavor however I need to keep the ball rolling. It was easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the year and push this project aside for both myself and my mentee. But we are not finished yet. She has requested assistance using the Reflector app which we both believe will open doors for many new uses of the iPads for the teachers. The shear volume of apps available is definitely overwhelming for many so it is useful to have a PLN to help navigate and share findings with to educate others. Finally, technology integration takes time and will evolve as needs and opportunities arise.
Karimi, S. (n.d.). How to Write a Data Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_4830939_write-data-analysis.html
MENTOR. National Mentoring Partnership. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/for_mentors
NCWIT Mentoring-in-a-Box: Technical Women at Work. Mentoring Basics - A Mentor's Guide to Success. Retrieve from http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/IMentor_MentorGuide.pdf
Week 1: We started off strong with me sending them a quick list of apps to explore and get a feel for what is out there. It was greatly appreciated and shared with any one who asked.
Week 2: Our next interaction she felt slightly overwhelmed on how to weed through the list ever growing list. We discussed looking at prices and reviews to start. She also asked specifically for some teacher approved apps.
Week 3: I responded with teacher recommended apps from classmates and on twitter as well as an image on keeping the use of technology on focus. This was met with gratitude and a calmer sense of this is doable.
Week 4: My mentee approached me with some apps to research which I followed up on and we then discussed getting together to look at and discuss apps. Definitely a sense that she needed more assistance.
Week 5: The librarian thanked me for the provided apps. She was planning an 'apps with apps' meeting and wanted me in attendance. Appeared very grateful but uncertain about being able to setting time for meeting in the near future.
Week 6: No correspondence.
Week 7: Sheepishly admitted teachers have been using iPads and just looking at list of potential apps as necessary. Still dedicated to having a bigger meeting to introduce more apps to teachers but appeared mildly embarrassed the meeting didn't happen first.
Observations of teachers:
Within the first week of providing a list of apps for my mentee, I was approached by another teacher in the building for help finding subject specific apps for two of her students. I quickly sent a list off to which she responded, "Wow! Thank you" and referred to me as a technology guru. I also ran into another parent around town two weeks later who thanked me for the apps, the librarian had passed my list on to her, and she was extremely grateful to have a 'guide' for apps for her kids to use rather than 'spending two or more hours every night' searching and not finding much. There seems to be a definite need for assistance in wading through the endless apps available.
Survey:
I felt I had a pretty strong read from my observations on how the apps were being received. Since we have yet to hold a meeting to formally introduce the implementation and uses of the iPads an survey of my mentee and teachers did not seem appropriate or necessary.
Student learning: My own child's teacher has the iPad in her class and occasionally lets students use it as another computing device for an online exercise. It has not been used beyond that as far as he reports.
Overall, it was a mainly successful endeavor however I need to keep the ball rolling. It was easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the year and push this project aside for both myself and my mentee. But we are not finished yet. She has requested assistance using the Reflector app which we both believe will open doors for many new uses of the iPads for the teachers. The shear volume of apps available is definitely overwhelming for many so it is useful to have a PLN to help navigate and share findings with to educate others. Finally, technology integration takes time and will evolve as needs and opportunities arise.
Karimi, S. (n.d.). How to Write a Data Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_4830939_write-data-analysis.html
MENTOR. National Mentoring Partnership. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/for_mentors
NCWIT Mentoring-in-a-Box: Technical Women at Work. Mentoring Basics - A Mentor's Guide to Success. Retrieve from http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/IMentor_MentorGuide.pdf
Monday, November 18, 2013
Reflection Week 11
I received lots of great feedback this week from classmates. I will be more specific in my list of ways for helping students adapt to change as suggested by Barbra, Heather, and Hallie. Instead of just listing real life applications and hooks I will add lists and links of examples to get me started. As well I will broaden my focus from 'next semester' to the near future so as not to limit myself like Tracie advised.
I struggled this week keeping my focus on my motto for 668 and my vision for 670. I kept interchanging the two and confusing my thoughts. Although they kind of go hand in hand. Where I plan to go with respect to technology in the future and how I will adapt to that ever changing technology. Kept it interesting anyway:)
670 Week 5 Reflection
This week I shared the idea of groupthink with Thomas. Just something to be aware of as we continue our discussion on collaboration and learning in groups. There is another side to it that students could fall victim too.
Colin and I agreed that the specific tools should not be the focus. These tools won't even be around when our students graduate so why the fuss to learn a specific program? If the jobs we are training students for don't even exist yet it is probably safe to say the tools they may be using won't either. Our focus should be on the transferable 'skills of writing, editing, collaborating, and publishing stuff online'.
Tiffany introduced me to Vine. An app for making looping 6 second videos. Her question 'what would happen if we let students take off with their own creations? Got me thinking about my own kids making iMovie trailers. They figured out the technology themselves in moments but spent hours creating, editing, cooperating, and sharing their masterpiece. I think it's an inspiring idea although guidance for appropriateness would likely need to be interjected from time to time. She also had me revisit my thoughts about achieving our tech vision is a slow process. What would it be like if we just made the giant leap now? Throwing all caution the wind, staring with a completely new slate? Sounds kind of like the way our students do things nowadays anyway. Not logistically possible but fun to think about.
Colin and I agreed that the specific tools should not be the focus. These tools won't even be around when our students graduate so why the fuss to learn a specific program? If the jobs we are training students for don't even exist yet it is probably safe to say the tools they may be using won't either. Our focus should be on the transferable 'skills of writing, editing, collaborating, and publishing stuff online'.
Tiffany introduced me to Vine. An app for making looping 6 second videos. Her question 'what would happen if we let students take off with their own creations? Got me thinking about my own kids making iMovie trailers. They figured out the technology themselves in moments but spent hours creating, editing, cooperating, and sharing their masterpiece. I think it's an inspiring idea although guidance for appropriateness would likely need to be interjected from time to time. She also had me revisit my thoughts about achieving our tech vision is a slow process. What would it be like if we just made the giant leap now? Throwing all caution the wind, staring with a completely new slate? Sounds kind of like the way our students do things nowadays anyway. Not logistically possible but fun to think about.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
670 Technology Vision for Schools
Vision: Students Learning Naturally.
Get it? Students Learning, Naturally. AND Students, Learning Naturally.
Rationale:
The Accenture Technology Vision 2013 site emphasizes seven trends that should be shaping a digital business for the future. We can easily substitute students for employees and schools for businesses throughout their site and apply it to education.
"Accenture identifies the top emerging technology trends that will transform businesses (education) in the next three to five years. With technology now intertwined with every aspect of business (education), your digital efforts will be the key to how you innovate and expand". The word intertwined really struck a cord with me as did the following: "for collaboration to work better, employees (students) don't need more social channels - they need the work itself to be more social." (ATV, 2013) Social, like the kids already are.
I liked this image as well, however, I saw search engine optimization overlapping both school and work on the time line.
Robinson (2011) mentions "Technology, as was once said, is not technology if it happened before you were born"so it follows technology to our students is "as natural as the air they breathe". Therefore we need to quit focussing on 'technology the tool', it's here, it's part of life. Don't put it in it's own box.
Get it? Students Learning, Naturally. AND Students, Learning Naturally.
Rationale:
The Accenture Technology Vision 2013 site emphasizes seven trends that should be shaping a digital business for the future. We can easily substitute students for employees and schools for businesses throughout their site and apply it to education.
"Accenture identifies the top emerging technology trends that will transform businesses (education) in the next three to five years. With technology now intertwined with every aspect of business (education), your digital efforts will be the key to how you innovate and expand". The word intertwined really struck a cord with me as did the following: "for collaboration to work better, employees (students) don't need more social channels - they need the work itself to be more social." (ATV, 2013) Social, like the kids already are.
I liked this image as well, however, I saw search engine optimization overlapping both school and work on the time line.
Robinson (2011) mentions "Technology, as was once said, is not technology if it happened before you were born"so it follows technology to our students is "as natural as the air they breathe". Therefore we need to quit focussing on 'technology the tool', it's here, it's part of life. Don't put it in it's own box.
It should influence and be at the core of education. Our focus should be on the purpose of the tools not the tools itself.
Robinson also said, "When people find their medium, they discover their real creative strengths and come into their own." Sounds pretty natural to me.
Attainability:
Is my vision reasonable? I think so. It's time for change, technology is here, let's use it to empower and educate.
Is my vision attainable? Let's say to get from where we are to where I see us going it will be like turning a large cargo ship. Slow and steady. It is a big leap from here to there. We can start with the some of the trends identified by Accenture as we slowly blur the line between technology as a tool and technology for a purpose including:
Digital Relationships - move beyond transactions to digital relationships
Collaboration - make work more social
Accenture Technology Vision 2013. Retrieved from http://www.accenture.com/microsites/it-trends-innovations-2013/Pages/home.aspx
Robinson, K. (2011). Out of Our Minds. Kindle Reader.
Robinson also said, "When people find their medium, they discover their real creative strengths and come into their own." Sounds pretty natural to me.
Attainability:
Is my vision reasonable? I think so. It's time for change, technology is here, let's use it to empower and educate.
Is my vision attainable? Let's say to get from where we are to where I see us going it will be like turning a large cargo ship. Slow and steady. It is a big leap from here to there. We can start with the some of the trends identified by Accenture as we slowly blur the line between technology as a tool and technology for a purpose including:
Digital Relationships - move beyond transactions to digital relationships
Collaboration - make work more social
Accenture Technology Vision 2013. Retrieved from http://www.accenture.com/microsites/it-trends-innovations-2013/Pages/home.aspx
Robinson, K. (2011). Out of Our Minds. Kindle Reader.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Philosophy of Adaptation
1. My motto for creating 21st Century Learners: "Learning Together"
The resources below (as well as the video at the end) aided in my development of this motto. I wanted to capture it is a group journey, no longer teacher led, and also to incorporate the world outside the classroom walls. If we are in this together it is going to require communication and social networking and exchanging of ideas. 
"Technology is only technology to those who were born before it." (Nielsen)
2. How do I adapt to change in my environment?
*Take a moment to decipher if it is something I need or could use, will it benefit my students and how? Then fill in the blanks: (technology tool) for the purpose of ____________ ? "to keep focus on the learning purpose not the tools". (McLeod, 2013)
*Jump in and play around with it, explore.
*Search for people with experience with the tool either students or colleagues within my building or members of my PLN via twitter asking for assistance and feedback.
*Essentially be the 21st century learner we are trying to develop: approach the change by working in a team, asking good questions, and having big picture views. (Riordan)
3. How do I support my students in adapting to change?
Currently:
*Offer various sources for external learning and have students share what they have found
In the future:
*Use real life applications and hooks to increase passion and enthusiasm as listed in Teach Like a PIRATE
*Will introduce more Project Based Learning using Andrew Blair's site as a starting point
*Encourage more video conferencing for peer collaboration. Provide tool for students to conference each other without teacher facilitation.
*Incorporate room for creativity within correspondence, PBL, and hooks. Change assignments to allow for more freedom and creativity. Videos, Vines, Comics, Prezis, Glogsters etc.
Burgess, D. (2012). Teach Like a PIRATE.
Hamilton, P. (November 30, 2012). The 21st Century Student. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPS_UIn9Lg
McLeod, S. (October 24, 2013). For the Purpose Of. Retrieved from http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org
Nielsen, L. (April 15, 2008). The Innovative Educator: Ten 21st Century Education Quotes I Carry With Me. Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/ten-21st-century-education-quotes-i.html
Hamilton, P. (November 30, 2012). The 21st Century Student. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPS_UIn9Lg
McLeod, S. (October 24, 2013). For the Purpose Of. Retrieved from http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org
Nielsen, L. (April 15, 2008). The Innovative Educator: Ten 21st Century Education Quotes I Carry With Me. Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/ten-21st-century-education-quotes-i.html
Riordan, B. High Tech High, San Diego California: The Culture of 21st Century Schools. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZjZd
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Reflection Week 10
Barbra's comment on my blog took me further into thoughts on gaming. We agreed not everyone is motivated by gaming. So what do we do with the remaining students? Try to motivate them to do gaming? Or differentiate their learning to something that does motivate them? If we make the full shift to student directed learning, they will find their motivation, but will they only learn what they are interested in? And if they do, is that such a bad thing? If they follow their true talents and interests would that not be the epitome of education?
Jonathan's post seconded these thoughts. He brought up the idea of ownership in his interview with gamers. If the students have a vested interest in the content, ownership ensues and from that follows honesty and shared learning. Sounds like ideal way for learning to take place.
Tracie also voiced this idea for education. She stated "I think it's a whole new way of looking at curriculum so that it's really powered - "designed" - by the students." It seems this would be the direction to head, now the big question... how?
Jonathan's post seconded these thoughts. He brought up the idea of ownership in his interview with gamers. If the students have a vested interest in the content, ownership ensues and from that follows honesty and shared learning. Sounds like ideal way for learning to take place.
Tracie also voiced this idea for education. She stated "I think it's a whole new way of looking at curriculum so that it's really powered - "designed" - by the students." It seems this would be the direction to head, now the big question... how?
670 Week 4 Reflection
I liked Matt's analogy on his video, also enjoyed the iMovie, must try that in the future. Being that we are evaluating the same plan I brought to light the technology plan hidden within the technology plan document. Unfortunately, that mini technology plan only referred to, and explicitly stated so, the computer recycling of the district. It seems the district lost track of what they were creating some where along the way. I suggested maybe a renaming of either part would lead to less confusion.
Tiffany's shared link on her glogster really got me thinking? Are a strategic and technology plan just a duplication of each other? If the strategic plan is to state who we are and where we are going, can we not just assume since we are heading into the future that technology is going to be involved? Instead of two distinct plans, the technology plan covers the goals and how to with technology, but is there really a plan that won't include tech? Maybe that's where my district got lost on their naming of their plan.
Also it's helpful to think that planning is really just a guide, we know technology is always changing, we need to be flexible and willing to adapt instead of following a document that seems written in stone.
Thomas pointed out that creating his comic helped get his creative juices flowing and I completely agreed. I wasn't sure what direction I was going until I sat down and just started to work on my comic. Just picking my character sparked a bunch of ideas. The creative nature of this week's post took more time but definitely allowed me to formulate more complete thoughts on the topic.
Tiffany's shared link on her glogster really got me thinking? Are a strategic and technology plan just a duplication of each other? If the strategic plan is to state who we are and where we are going, can we not just assume since we are heading into the future that technology is going to be involved? Instead of two distinct plans, the technology plan covers the goals and how to with technology, but is there really a plan that won't include tech? Maybe that's where my district got lost on their naming of their plan.
Also it's helpful to think that planning is really just a guide, we know technology is always changing, we need to be flexible and willing to adapt instead of following a document that seems written in stone.
Thomas pointed out that creating his comic helped get his creative juices flowing and I completely agreed. I wasn't sure what direction I was going until I sat down and just started to work on my comic. Just picking my character sparked a bunch of ideas. The creative nature of this week's post took more time but definitely allowed me to formulate more complete thoughts on the topic.
Friday, November 8, 2013
670 Relationship Between Technology Planning and Strategic Planning
It seems to me that a school's technology plan and strategic plan should be aligned and support one another. A strategic plan should answer the question "What do we do?" and include the goals of the school. A technology plan should explain how we will use technology to help meet those goals. The technology plan is the map of where the school is heading and the strategic plan explains the why you would want to head there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning
Leadership Lessons from Gamers
I interviewed two high school gamers this week, asking them the following questions:
A - high school senior (female)
B - high school senior (male)
1. What is the atmosphere like when you first join a game?
A- I was a little young, and inexperienced, it was not friendly and I was asked to leave in not a nice way.
B - Friendly, cooperative
2. How do you find a team/guild?
A- I find my friends and then hook up online.
B - Type in chat: "Please let me join, please I beg of you."
3. How does the climate stay positive? Is there any bullying? A way to manage unruly players?
A - If in the same room with friends it's positive or with players of the same age or younger, it's friendly because they don't have as much time invested. I feel I am in control of myself, if I don't feel comfortable, I just leave the room.
B - Some people are buttheads and destroy everything I have and loved.
B - Some people are buttheads and destroy everything I have and loved.
4. What draws you to put in so much time?
A - The individual accomplishment of reaching a new level, it's not competitive with others. Appreciate the collaboration.
B - It's fun to build stuff. Most games are about fighting/killing.
B - It's fun to build stuff. Most games are about fighting/killing.
5. How do you get more members to join? Is it about getting the numbers to increase?
A - Not really trying to do that, it's very individual.
I was most interested in the culture of gaming, what the interactions are like, how relationships are formed and what the draw really is to invest so much time in a game. I wondered if it is a certain personality type that plays or if the environment of mmogs only appeals to a certain type of 'student'.
It seems from my interview of the female gamer that there is a lot of self regulation and collaboration amongst known peers, it's not necessarily strangers gathering to succeed. She prefers to stay connected with friends, maybe there is safety in numbers or just in creating your own positive environment. However, the male gamer seemed more confident about navigating his way around the gaming world, disgruntled by 'buttheads' but not letting them influence his experience. Not sure if this due to genders or personalities. This could also be due to the fact that I interviewed teenagers, I would suspect older more experienced gamers would be more confident to navigate the gaming world solo, like the male interviewee. The motivation to play seems to be intrinsic and based on individual improvements. There is not necessarily a competition to be in the best team/guild or to work with the top players but rather to work at your own level, making individual accomplishments. This self seeking collaboration and motivation would lend well to education, with students self regulating their own achievements and creating their own learning collectives with peers. By doing so they would be creating their own comfort zone to participate in. They could focus on their own immediate part of the gaming world and individual successes and wouldn't necessarily get hung up on what the cream of the crop are doing. A positive, calm, self created learning environment with friends to collaborate and motivation to improve individually. Definitely sounds like something education should learn from!
Thomas, D. & Brown, J. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.
Thomas and Brown state "In almost all guilds, players are required both to participate - they can't just sit back and watch everyone else - and to advance the progression of the guild." And it sounds like if you don't participate, you will be told to leave. So how could we motivate students to get involved? Is it only those interested that will participate? Or those with outgoing personalities? Or maybe those with the skills to successfully navigate the game well? Thomas and Brown also say in mmogs imagination is required. "And where imaginations play, learning happens." But I wonder can you force imagination?
It seems from my interview of the female gamer that there is a lot of self regulation and collaboration amongst known peers, it's not necessarily strangers gathering to succeed. She prefers to stay connected with friends, maybe there is safety in numbers or just in creating your own positive environment. However, the male gamer seemed more confident about navigating his way around the gaming world, disgruntled by 'buttheads' but not letting them influence his experience. Not sure if this due to genders or personalities. This could also be due to the fact that I interviewed teenagers, I would suspect older more experienced gamers would be more confident to navigate the gaming world solo, like the male interviewee. The motivation to play seems to be intrinsic and based on individual improvements. There is not necessarily a competition to be in the best team/guild or to work with the top players but rather to work at your own level, making individual accomplishments. This self seeking collaboration and motivation would lend well to education, with students self regulating their own achievements and creating their own learning collectives with peers. By doing so they would be creating their own comfort zone to participate in. They could focus on their own immediate part of the gaming world and individual successes and wouldn't necessarily get hung up on what the cream of the crop are doing. A positive, calm, self created learning environment with friends to collaborate and motivation to improve individually. Definitely sounds like something education should learn from!
Thomas, D. & Brown, J. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Reflection Week 9
Warm fuzzy feelings this week. Barbra reminded me I'm not alone and to reach out to my PLN whenever I'm stumped. My instinct is still to tackle the issue on my own via the internet instead of learning in the collective. Guess I need to take a page from my own teacher book :)
Margo and I concurred over the enormity of change and the limits of time, to which with both decided one step at a time is the way to tackle it.
Heather and I shared a mutual appreciation of each other and a swap of math links (see below) to make our shift to where and how easier. Ginger also expressed gratitude for those links.
Sharing, contributing, helping, supporting. A good week.
http://www.realworldmath.org/
http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mathchat/mathchat019.shtml
http://ed.ted.com/series/math-in-real-life
Margo and I concurred over the enormity of change and the limits of time, to which with both decided one step at a time is the way to tackle it.
Heather and I shared a mutual appreciation of each other and a swap of math links (see below) to make our shift to where and how easier. Ginger also expressed gratitude for those links.
Sharing, contributing, helping, supporting. A good week.
http://www.realworldmath.org/
http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mathchat/mathchat019.shtml
http://ed.ted.com/series/math-in-real-life
670 Reflection Week 3
This week my thoughts started with yes, we can and should include creativity in a tech plan. Besides technologies naturally lend themselves by their very nature to creativity. This thought was seconded by Colin and I then extended it to Matt and Thomas who were coming from the angle that creativity has to likely come down from the teacher. However, upon listening to Dr. Sugata Mitra's TED talk that Chris provided I started to rethink the entire role of a tech plan. If schools as we know them are obsolete, why are we trying to fit a technology plan into an obsolete machine? Perhaps the new 'school' would be the tech plan itself. Describing what technologies to expose students to and then let the 'learning emerge' from the students as Mitra stated. A big leap, but really had me looking at technology plans as a new entity rather than a square peg being fit into a round hole.
Friday, November 1, 2013
670 Creativity in Technology Plans
OH NOOOOOO!!! I have been slowly accumulating ideas to transform my course, researching before making major changes, knowing my course was not the best design but would work in the mean time and would so be worth the wait. Until this week, when a student made this statement explaining how she is overcoming her confusion...'I keep telling myself to not ask questions just follow the given steps'. AHHHHHH! I have managed to unintentionally squash the creativity and curiosity out of student with respect to math. This is like a kiss of death. Needless to say I have been motivated to put my transformation into action tout suite. When I started teaching online three years ago, the technology I used seemed cutting edge but THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO! I know how quickly technology is changing, so I am using the equivalent of perhaps a colored TV to teach. Not only am I using outdated tools, I am also using the outdated formats that are killing creativity. Yikes. What a wake up call!
I see now the importance of having an active technology plan, you can't just sit back and ride on what you currently have. Constant or ongoing evaluation of the plan seems necessary. On the other hand, evaluations of the students is a different thing. Robinson says "instead of examinations and tests being an indicator of how they are progressing, they are like continually pulling up a plant to see how well it is growing". A statement I plan to use to guide me as I transform my course to one with creativity, collaboration, and understanding. Evaluation of technology used? Yes. Of students learning? Not as much.
Is it reasonable to build creativity into our Technology Plans? Maybe. It definitely seems that certain technologies lend themselves to creativity more than others. But can creativity be measured and evaluated as part of a plan? And ideally, does it need to be? Robinson states about Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler "they did not solve an old problem: they asked a new question and in doing so they changed the whole basis on which the old questions had been framed." So perhaps we need to look at our technology plans not as a way to supplement current education but use it as a way to ask a new question about what education should be. The Burlington Public Schools District Technology Plan states in their benchmark "Technology is no longer an extra or supplemental material found in some classrooms".
On the flip side, I found an article on this business Creative Technology in China that plans to be less 'creative'. Granted it's a technology business and not a school but think the warning is real of the other extreme. "The company's "curse" was that it had been too "creative" and this led to too many ideas and launching too many products". So I suppose there can be a down side to too much creativity.
I just had a conversation with a parent whose daughter is a senior with top grades and a talented dancer. When discussing her options for next year, she was looking for colleges. Then upon seeing a Quixotic performance and taking some classes with them announced 'maybe I will just join the circus instead'. To which her father replied, 'Great! Go, be true to yourself and do what makes your heart flutter.' I found this very refreshing and
inspiring. I wonder if he is in the minority of parents with these thoughts or if people in general are seeing the lack of demand for higher education as Robinson pointed out?
Franklin, Benjamin. Retrieved from http://doe.virginia.gov/support/technology/edtech_plan/plan.pdf
Phneah, Ellyne. (June 5, 2012). Creative Plans to be less 'Creative'. ZDNet. Retrieved from http://www.zdnet.com/creative-plans-to-be-less-creative-2062305023/
Robinson, Ken. (2011). Out of Our Minds
I see now the importance of having an active technology plan, you can't just sit back and ride on what you currently have. Constant or ongoing evaluation of the plan seems necessary. On the other hand, evaluations of the students is a different thing. Robinson says "instead of examinations and tests being an indicator of how they are progressing, they are like continually pulling up a plant to see how well it is growing". A statement I plan to use to guide me as I transform my course to one with creativity, collaboration, and understanding. Evaluation of technology used? Yes. Of students learning? Not as much.
Is it reasonable to build creativity into our Technology Plans? Maybe. It definitely seems that certain technologies lend themselves to creativity more than others. But can creativity be measured and evaluated as part of a plan? And ideally, does it need to be? Robinson states about Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler "they did not solve an old problem: they asked a new question and in doing so they changed the whole basis on which the old questions had been framed." So perhaps we need to look at our technology plans not as a way to supplement current education but use it as a way to ask a new question about what education should be. The Burlington Public Schools District Technology Plan states in their benchmark "Technology is no longer an extra or supplemental material found in some classrooms".
On the flip side, I found an article on this business Creative Technology in China that plans to be less 'creative'. Granted it's a technology business and not a school but think the warning is real of the other extreme. "The company's "curse" was that it had been too "creative" and this led to too many ideas and launching too many products". So I suppose there can be a down side to too much creativity.
I just had a conversation with a parent whose daughter is a senior with top grades and a talented dancer. When discussing her options for next year, she was looking for colleges. Then upon seeing a Quixotic performance and taking some classes with them announced 'maybe I will just join the circus instead'. To which her father replied, 'Great! Go, be true to yourself and do what makes your heart flutter.' I found this very refreshing and
inspiring. I wonder if he is in the minority of parents with these thoughts or if people in general are seeing the lack of demand for higher education as Robinson pointed out?
Franklin, Benjamin. Retrieved from http://doe.virginia.gov/support/technology/edtech_plan/plan.pdf
Phneah, Ellyne. (June 5, 2012). Creative Plans to be less 'Creative'. ZDNet. Retrieved from http://www.zdnet.com/creative-plans-to-be-less-creative-2062305023/
Robinson, Ken. (2011). Out of Our Minds
Monday, October 28, 2013
Shifting from "What" to "Where" and "How"
I think my biggest challenge in shifting from 'what' to 'where' and 'how' is how do I get my students to pursue personal interests in a content they are not interested in? Can I frame the application of Math in a way that my students will be naturally curious and care to work towards their own discovery? I found this video of Dan Meyer (perhaps some of you have seen his TED Talk presentation) exhibiting how he presents questions in a way that makes the student wonder. It seems no matter their tendencies towards mathematics, curiosity would take over and make students have a vested interest in the answer. A definite lead to get me over my biggest hurdle. He also has a website http://www.101qs.com/ very simplistic, just a archive of pictures and videos to spark an initial question.
Another concern as voiced by Nyoli Connor (2010) questions, 'How do we get students to view themselves as capable of discussing and developing their mathematical framework without constant “expert” direction?' I suppose that just comes with practice. I know not to expect the first attempt to step away from the 'what' to be without bumps.
One more idea that would help, Connor asked a student for their perspective on how social media is being used academically. Brilliant! I feel in this situation it is definitely worth it to call in the experts! I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to develop a move to where and how only to find you missed the mark on what students are naturally doing and using digitally.
My second, almost equally as big challenge, is to not just mask the content in a weak attempt to step away from the 'what' but to fully shift to the 'where' and 'how'. In my search to solve challenge #2, I have found:
http://www.yummymath.com/
http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/
http://csdt.rpi.edu/
As well as Dan Meyer's site listed above. Although some still seem to me to be a mask, they are a good starting point if nothing else.
One more site I want to spend more time on is http://www.edutopia.org/knowledge-in-action-PBL-research-video?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=video-pbl-research-question I started watching a video on project-based learning and ending up viewing how to remake your classroom so it is more conducive for collaboration. And many other things in between. Think it will be a valuable resource.
http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/
http://csdt.rpi.edu/
As well as Dan Meyer's site listed above. Although some still seem to me to be a mask, they are a good starting point if nothing else.
One more site I want to spend more time on is http://www.edutopia.org/knowledge-in-action-PBL-research-video?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=video-pbl-research-question I started watching a video on project-based learning and ending up viewing how to remake your classroom so it is more conducive for collaboration. And many other things in between. Think it will be a valuable resource.
Connor, Nyoli. (October 15, 2010). Geeking Out With Math...Can This Dream Become a Reality?
Retrieved from http://www.coetail.com/nconnor/2010/10/15/geeking-out-with-math-can-this-dream-become-a-reality/
Sunday, October 27, 2013
670 Reflection Week 2
A couple of big questions and thoughts came out of this week:
1. Government subsidized internet as suggested by Christopher on my blog. I agree, but wonder how many will be up in arms with the government involved in their internet service?
2. Tiffany's link to an article of teacher versus students opinions on social media had me wondering if we will always be chasing students' desired technologies? I've heard it said that kids and parents shouldn't like the same music because songs should speak to what the listener cares about. And kids and parents shouldn't care about the same things. So does this same theory apply to social media? We are trying to implement what students use and are a part of their daily life, but do they really want us to? Should we be trying to do so? Not to say we shouldn't use social media but perhaps it's ok to use what works for the classroom rather than chasing what students are currently using and is 'cool'.
3. Thomas brought forth the resistance to technology is not about technology itself but the implementation of technology in our homes and schools. This brought me back to my image for refocus
and also made me realize how lucky I am to be in a community that seems to be embracing technology and all it's strengths.
4. Colin brought back to my attention the Conrad Wolfram TED talk on teaching math, not calculations, which fit beautifully with my inquiry based learning discussion in EDET 668. Everything is coming together!
1. Government subsidized internet as suggested by Christopher on my blog. I agree, but wonder how many will be up in arms with the government involved in their internet service?
2. Tiffany's link to an article of teacher versus students opinions on social media had me wondering if we will always be chasing students' desired technologies? I've heard it said that kids and parents shouldn't like the same music because songs should speak to what the listener cares about. And kids and parents shouldn't care about the same things. So does this same theory apply to social media? We are trying to implement what students use and are a part of their daily life, but do they really want us to? Should we be trying to do so? Not to say we shouldn't use social media but perhaps it's ok to use what works for the classroom rather than chasing what students are currently using and is 'cool'.
3. Thomas brought forth the resistance to technology is not about technology itself but the implementation of technology in our homes and schools. This brought me back to my image for refocus
4. Colin brought back to my attention the Conrad Wolfram TED talk on teaching math, not calculations, which fit beautifully with my inquiry based learning discussion in EDET 668. Everything is coming together!
Reflection Week 8
Finally the pendulum has swung the other way! It seemed in the last few weeks I was the one benefitting from the knowledge and expertise of my classmates. Taking all and giving little. However, this week I found a couple of inquiry based sites that Tracie, Barbra, and Hallie appreciated and plan to put into use. It feels good to give back!
Of course, I still did a little 'taking' this week as well. Tracie's process of keeping an Essential Question up during inquiry to refer to for guidance is something I hope to implement in my course. She also gave me hope that all is not lost with older students, that they can still learn with practice, to ask questions. She provided proof of that with her own eighth graders. She also gave a reminder of the importance of keeping communication open with your students as at times your intentions can be interpreted completely wrong. There is no way of knowing this other than to have students speak to you about their thoughts. Barbra voiced similar concerns to mine about this success of inquiry based learning if it is not consistent throughout a students education. If it is not practiced to some degree or another across the board, would it lead to holes in the students learning? Reflecting on my own post that inquiry based learning is not an every day, all day occurrence, I am coming round to the idea that it can be used and not create too many gaps even though future teachers for my students don't use it.
On a personal note, I was thrilled to hear Courtney is interested in the International School scene. It is where I started and hope to someday return. Tis always fun to share dreams!
And finally, I found myself realizing I too 'know more than I can say'. In my own experience in switching from a very similar game to hockey I did not feel I had enough knowledge to lead my fellow teammates as it was a new game to me too. However, when questions about positioning or rules came up, I just seemed to know what to do. Growing up around the game gave me more tactic knowledge than I realized I had especially compared to people who were totally new to the game. So it is possible to know more than one can say. Guess I'm proof of that :)
Of course, I still did a little 'taking' this week as well. Tracie's process of keeping an Essential Question up during inquiry to refer to for guidance is something I hope to implement in my course. She also gave me hope that all is not lost with older students, that they can still learn with practice, to ask questions. She provided proof of that with her own eighth graders. She also gave a reminder of the importance of keeping communication open with your students as at times your intentions can be interpreted completely wrong. There is no way of knowing this other than to have students speak to you about their thoughts. Barbra voiced similar concerns to mine about this success of inquiry based learning if it is not consistent throughout a students education. If it is not practiced to some degree or another across the board, would it lead to holes in the students learning? Reflecting on my own post that inquiry based learning is not an every day, all day occurrence, I am coming round to the idea that it can be used and not create too many gaps even though future teachers for my students don't use it.
On a personal note, I was thrilled to hear Courtney is interested in the International School scene. It is where I started and hope to someday return. Tis always fun to share dreams!
And finally, I found myself realizing I too 'know more than I can say'. In my own experience in switching from a very similar game to hockey I did not feel I had enough knowledge to lead my fellow teammates as it was a new game to me too. However, when questions about positioning or rules came up, I just seemed to know what to do. Growing up around the game gave me more tactic knowledge than I realized I had especially compared to people who were totally new to the game. So it is possible to know more than one can say. Guess I'm proof of that :)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
670 Implications of Economic & Societal Changes on Tech Planning
"Many people and organizations are having a hard time coping with these (technological) changes and feel left behind or alienated by them." (Robinson, 2011). I get it, it's scary to look far in to the future with respect to technology, or life in general really. I quickly learned after becoming a parent it's all about baby steps. Take it in stride, it's not all happening at once. Infants don't come out having temper tantrums (thank goodness) nor starting to date. When that time comes we have slowly made our way to that place and will be more prepared for it. It will be where we are, not some foreign distant place. Technology in thirty years sounds downright scary but so does thinking of my kids thirty years older. Fortunately, the changes progress and come naturally, not all at once. My kids don't go from 5 to 35, I have time to gradually change with them and adapt my parenting year by year to their current development. Same with technology. Baby steps.
Einstein image retrieved from http://lichs.wordpress.com
Or... may be I need to start taking larger steps. Yikes! Here is some technology I had no idea already existed. Jetpacks on the market next year? Jetsons here we come!
Ken Robinson (2011), in reference to a New York Times article where the author states, regarding the introduction of television, that "The average American family doesn't have time for it." Are we at this same point when people say they don't need technology? I think we're past that stage, people are getting on board, teachers are embracing it. Point is we are at a place with technology that is just as transforming as the introduction of television.
Things are changing. Economy and society go hand in hand and education needs to keep up with it. Which means our technology plans must be fluid and essay to adapt, not written in stone.
As discussed in our twitter session, a living document would keep a tech plan in the forefront, easy to adapt, and able to keep up with societal and economic changes. Forward on! As Robinson (2011) says, "The ability to innovate and adapt to change is not a luxury: it is a necessity." So it follows a tech plan must be able to adapt to changes in society and economics, always looking towards to future.
In order to keep up with the rapid changes in the world, we need to tap in to our creativity, in all disciplines. "Science and mathematics can be just as creative as music and dance." (Robinson, 2011) This made me think of a Fringe episode I watched recently where the scientist converts a mathematical equation into musical notation claiming 'music is a mathematical language'. Really? Here's proof that this is somewhat true. Robinson suggests the culture of creativity has to involve EVERYBODY and all disciplines, of which science and math are no exception!
Huffington Post Tech. (October 24, 2013). The Future is Now: 9 Unbelievable (Real) Technologies That Exist Today. Retrieved from:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/gmc-the-future-is-now-_n_3843405.html
Robinson, Ken. (2011). Out of Our Minds: Learning To Be Creative.
Schweitzer, Kate. (October 1, 2009). Fringe's Music to Math Connection Contains as Much Fast as Fiction. Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/4292462
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Importance of Inquiry and Questioning
The importance of inquiry and questioning in my discipline is HUGE! Inquiry in math takes students from traditional explicit knowledge to multiple acceptable answers to the never ending question 'When will I ever use this?' I was delighted to find an incredible website, Inquiry Maths by Andrew Blair out of the UK, that provides prompts to get students asking questions, regulation choices for students to decide how they want to proceed with the inquiry, assessment for inquiry lessons, even online support. A priceless resource for getting started with math inquiry lessons. I found it interesting to note that Blair (2013) only orchestrated two full inquiry lessons per term, each taking approximately 5 hours in the classroom. He noted other smaller inquiries happened all the time but this wasn't an everyday occurrence. Knowing that made it real to me and achievable.
Jacqui Murray in her blog, 11 Ways to Make an Inquiry-Based Classroom, discussed inquiry learning in this way "Learning isn't linear. It's a web that grows out from the central question. As such, your lesson plan may change dramatically based on student inquiry. If you teach three fifth grade classes, each will likely be different from the other. That's OK. Your challenge is to track what you did in each class and pick up from where you left off. That's OK, too. It's part of the job of teaching an inquiry-based class." Coupling that with Blair's non daily approach made meeting standards still seem achievable. Murray also advised to publish and share, inquiry based classrooms share knowledge which would help nurture the collective indwelling that Thomas and Brown discussed.
A couple more math inquiry sites worth sharing:
Center for Inquiry-Based Learning has a list of math inquiry games and exercises. Not as thorough as the Inquiry Maths website but could be a good start and warm up to the bigger inquiry lessons.
And wouldn't you know it, there's a Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Most pins are smaller, hands-on discoveries, some have not much inquiry at all but still worth perusing. Found this little nugget on there to help stay on the inquiry path:
Center for Inquiry-Based Learning (2001). Retrieved from http://www.ciblearning.org/resource.exercise.php
Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/join/?action=follow&next=%2Fkcbombard%2Fmath-inquiry%2F
Murray, J. (n.d.). 11 Ways to Make an Inquiry-based Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/11-ways-make-inquiry-based-classroom
Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/join/?action=follow&next=%2Fkcbombard%2Fmath-inquiry%2F
Jacqui Murray in her blog, 11 Ways to Make an Inquiry-Based Classroom, discussed inquiry learning in this way "Learning isn't linear. It's a web that grows out from the central question. As such, your lesson plan may change dramatically based on student inquiry. If you teach three fifth grade classes, each will likely be different from the other. That's OK. Your challenge is to track what you did in each class and pick up from where you left off. That's OK, too. It's part of the job of teaching an inquiry-based class." Coupling that with Blair's non daily approach made meeting standards still seem achievable. Murray also advised to publish and share, inquiry based classrooms share knowledge which would help nurture the collective indwelling that Thomas and Brown discussed.
A couple more math inquiry sites worth sharing:
Center for Inquiry-Based Learning has a list of math inquiry games and exercises. Not as thorough as the Inquiry Maths website but could be a good start and warm up to the bigger inquiry lessons.
And wouldn't you know it, there's a Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Most pins are smaller, hands-on discoveries, some have not much inquiry at all but still worth perusing. Found this little nugget on there to help stay on the inquiry path:
As far as nurturing students' passion in my classroom, I guess I need to start with knowing what their passions are. Once I know that, I can adjust the hooks and real life applications and inquiry prompts somewhat accordingly. Thomas & Brown suggest 'when the idea is to ask questions, diversity is a good thing.' I understood this to mean their diversity in both disposition and indwelling would deepen the peer to peer learning and that specific nurturing of each individual's passion was not necessary all the time.
I needed the example of the basketball question addressed to the player for comparison. "At what angle and with what force must a person shoot a ball to make a basket 20 feet away?" An example of a poor attempt to nurture the student's passion with inquiry by masking a physics problem with a basketball theme, pretty transparent. I have guiltily been there! It was eye opening to see how asking the question differently would address the student's true interest in basketball and engage the student: "What is the best way to shoot a basketball?" Little changes, big results.
Blair, A. (2013). Inquiry Maths. Retrieved from http://www.inquirymaths.com/Center for Inquiry-Based Learning (2001). Retrieved from http://www.ciblearning.org/resource.exercise.php
Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/join/?action=follow&next=%2Fkcbombard%2Fmath-inquiry%2F
Murray, J. (n.d.). 11 Ways to Make an Inquiry-based Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/11-ways-make-inquiry-based-classroom
Math Inquiry board on Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/join/?action=follow&next=%2Fkcbombard%2Fmath-inquiry%2F
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Reflection Week 7
I began this week, wanting to embrace learning in the collective for my students. I struggled with the issue that my students are anything but passionate about the content they are learning, and if this is the case could a true learning collective form and be successful? On Tracie's post she talked about successful collectives she's participated in and that is was easy to do so because it was something she cared about, and it was fun. Which continued my thought process, can a collective work without the passion of it's contributors? Margot seconded my concerns. She was coming from the perspective of young students needing to learn the core subjects. But still addressing the same concerns, as well as having difficulty seeing the big picture. Thankfully, I continued on to the interactions between Ginger and Christine on Ginger's blog. Ginger had posed the question, can we provide a positive learning collective in the classroom? To which Christine responded, it depends. AHA! Yes, I was thinking of a learning collective as the end all and be all. But it does depend, on the students, the class, the topics. There are many variables that can effect a learning collective. She also mentioned it is not something you can create or plan rather you can just provide the opportunity. Yes! This is exactly the perspective I needed to wrap my head around a learning collective in my class. Barbra helped me in my search for an existing math learning collective. She suggested I teach students to form a collective and from that new collectives can grow. I likened that to planting a seed. If I teach them how to form one, I can guide them off the start with etiquette and what ideally it can be and what it needs to be successful, and it can bloom from there. From this I realized a new approach to introducing the blog to my students. Most are skeptical as they have never participated in a public forum for learning. If I can frame it with reference to blogs they follow and participate in for fun and personal use perhaps they will have a more relaxed experience. I have noticed in the past some classes totally embrace the support system provided with a blog, usually due to one or two students having personally blogging experience. In other cases, like this year, it takes them half a semester to figure it out. All the variables Christine mentioned. I can't force it, just provide it. Now I can provide a newer, expanded version with a better introduction and explanation.
This week, I was again the one doing the learning. Makes me ever so thankful for this learning collective I am a part of!
This week, I was again the one doing the learning. Makes me ever so thankful for this learning collective I am a part of!
Friday, October 18, 2013
670 What is a technology plan?
What is a technology plan? I see it as a vision of things that will help students in the future, using community resources, students, and semantics to achieve that vision. The quality of a good technology plan that stuck with me the most is the mission/vision should be brief, 'like a bumper sticker', something that a child can understand (Anderson, 2005). Also that it should provide direction and 'helps users understand clearly where they are now and imagine where they want to be'. (Graduate Students at MSU)
Anderson & Jerry (March 1994) state the focus should be on major points. Later, after the "big picture" is conveyed and understood, a planner will be able better to address the minor, yet still important, elements.
I liked the brief template from Scientific Learning that included major points echoed by Anderson & Perry and Missouri Education. Those included:
Getting Started
Mission Statement
Current Technology
Goals
Action Plans including Professional Development
Implement and Evaluate
This image helped keep things succinct for my brain, when things get too lengthy I just shut down.
Anderson suggested that a child should be able to understand your mission statement which is such a relief to me. As mentioned my thoughts get lost in too many words. Something succinct and to the point to keep everyone on focus is the best bet. And that focus should be on the future and the students. Once that is established all the other details will fall in to place.
"The desired outcome of effective technology planning is that the most appropriate technologies are infused in the most natural manner into a maximally-effective instructional or administrative program so that all parties concerned have equitable access and achieve world-class benefits from routine use of the technologies." (Anderson & Perry, 1994)
Anderson, L. (August 26, 2005) Podcast: Larry Anderson shares thoughts about authentic technology planning. Retrieved from http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/3/0/3/3034d42e0adbb756/STP-LarryAnderson.mp3?c_id=3235606&expiration=1382162507&hwt=c5e910924574b3ba5dd4f92078dd106e
Anderson, L. & Perry, J. (March 1994). Technology Planning: A Recipe for Success. Retrieved from http://www.nctp.com/tp.recipe.html
Graduate Students at Mississippi State University. Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructional Technology Planning V.2. Retrieved from http://www.nctp.com/downloads/guidebook.pdf.
Missouri Department of Education. Six- Step Process in Creating a Technology Plan. Retrieved from http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/techplan/gettingstarted.htm
Scientific Learning. District/School Template Technology Plan Template. Your Blueprint for Sucess. Retrieved from http://www.scilearn.com/alldocs/cp/school-district-technology-plan.pdf
University of Montana. IT Strategic Planning Process 2011-12. Retrieved from http://umt.edu/it/strategic/planningprocess/default.php
Anderson & Jerry (March 1994) state the focus should be on major points. Later, after the "big picture" is conveyed and understood, a planner will be able better to address the minor, yet still important, elements.
I liked the brief template from Scientific Learning that included major points echoed by Anderson & Perry and Missouri Education. Those included:
Getting Started
Mission Statement
Current Technology
Goals
Action Plans including Professional Development
Implement and Evaluate
This image helped keep things succinct for my brain, when things get too lengthy I just shut down.
Anderson suggested that a child should be able to understand your mission statement which is such a relief to me. As mentioned my thoughts get lost in too many words. Something succinct and to the point to keep everyone on focus is the best bet. And that focus should be on the future and the students. Once that is established all the other details will fall in to place.
"The desired outcome of effective technology planning is that the most appropriate technologies are infused in the most natural manner into a maximally-effective instructional or administrative program so that all parties concerned have equitable access and achieve world-class benefits from routine use of the technologies." (Anderson & Perry, 1994)
Anderson, L. (August 26, 2005) Podcast: Larry Anderson shares thoughts about authentic technology planning. Retrieved from http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/3/0/3/3034d42e0adbb756/STP-LarryAnderson.mp3?c_id=3235606&expiration=1382162507&hwt=c5e910924574b3ba5dd4f92078dd106e
Anderson, L. & Perry, J. (March 1994). Technology Planning: A Recipe for Success. Retrieved from http://www.nctp.com/tp.recipe.html
Graduate Students at Mississippi State University. Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructional Technology Planning V.2. Retrieved from http://www.nctp.com/downloads/guidebook.pdf.
Missouri Department of Education. Six- Step Process in Creating a Technology Plan. Retrieved from http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/techplan/gettingstarted.htm
Scientific Learning. District/School Template Technology Plan Template. Your Blueprint for Sucess. Retrieved from http://www.scilearn.com/alldocs/cp/school-district-technology-plan.pdf
University of Montana. IT Strategic Planning Process 2011-12. Retrieved from http://umt.edu/it/strategic/planningprocess/default.php
Learning in the Collective Thoughts
Thomas & Brown (2011) state in classrooms with teachers standing before the group, 'The goal is to transmit information in a public way to the private minds of the students. That's why a student panics when she is called on in class, even if she knows the answer to the question. It's because she is being asked to expose in public what had been until that moment a very private activity.' Aha! That opened the flood gates for me and explained my entire education experience! After reading that I was on a mission to revamp my course into a learning collective through and through.
In realizing how much twitter has opened me up to learning collectives, I immediately turned there for input on changing my course. However, my first search on tweet deck for 'online math' automatically filled in to 'online math pay' which was a conversation of people looking for someone to do their online math homework for them, for PAY! I was completely discouraged as I was convinced my students will so benefit from an collective environment and that this was just what they needed to help them get over their fear of math. Only to be brought back to reality that some of them really don't care to learn and just want to get the pre-requisite out of the way. So how do you get students to engage in a collective? By the very nature of a learning collective participants must be willing and active. Can a true collective then be used within a syllabus constrained by standards? I concluded it would probably have to be used as a support system within the course rather than as the course itself.
In my continued search I came across a Khan Academy lecture on Learning Collectives. I found it extremely difficult to listen to the entirety of the brief 13 minute lecture! I just wanted the info I needed so I could move on and do things myself. I realized this is exactly how my students approach my class, skimming for important bits but mainly navigating by trial and error. An obvious motivator to continue to create support for them between themselves and other learners rather than more instruction from me.
A couple of other resources I found in my quest for improving my class included Sanjoy Mahanjan's overview of an alternative way to teach math that engages children. It lined up well with my thoughts and plans for change.
Also, Jesse Stommel's blog on building an ethical online class stated "Content-expertise does not equal good teaching. The internet already has lots of experts in all manner of things. A good pedagogue, rather, relies on a variable mixture of content-expertise and careful thinking about teaching practices." More proof that my students do not and should not need me solely for content.
The wheels are turning and even after a bump or two am still moving forward. I feel I am headed in the right direction.
Mahanjan, Sanjoy. (October 15, 2013). What's a Better Way to Teach Math. Retrieved from http://tvoparents.tvo.org/video/196129/whats-better-way-teach-math
Khan, Salman. (2013) Collective Learning. Retrieved from http://www.khanacademy.org/science/cosmology-and-astronomy/life-earth-universe/humanity-on-earth-tutorial/v/collective-learning
Stommel, Jesse. (October 1, 2013). How to Build an Ethical Online Course. Retrieved from http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/Journal/files/How_to_Build_an_Ethical_Online_Class.html
Thomas, D. & Brown, J. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.
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