Easily Distracted Students?

Although the majority of teachers of Advanced Placement  (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) courses believe that use of the Internet and digital devices helps students to be “more self-sufficient researchers”, they also said that the same technologies cause students to be easily distracted. Seventy-six percent of the teachers of these courses agreed strongly that student expectations are that they will find information easily and quickly.  The overwhelming amount of information available online, makes it, according to most AP and NWP teachers, difficult for students to locate acceptable sources. Therefore, the call is for digital literacy course for students.

iPads in Kindergarten

What are some of the best ways to use digital devices with young students? Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano in the Technology & Learning Advisor Blog gives ideas about how students can learn to “do what they could not conceive or accomplish without them [iPads] before.” For kindergarten classrooms, Tolisano offers a sample learning activity in which the apps Doodle Buddy, Skitch, iMovie, and ExplainEverything are used to help students develop cross curricular skills, use critical and creative thinking skills, and gain workflow fluency. Note: If you’d like to learn more about the importance of workflow fluency in the early grades, take a look at Kristi Meeuwse’s post, Workflow and iPads.

Fun with QR Coding

If you don’t know what QR (or Quick Response) Codes are, they are small black and white and sometimes colored squares with smaller squares inside. These squares contain coding for URLs, text and more. If they were in textbooks, for example, you and your students could decipher the codes with smart phones, iPod Touch or desktop computers to find links that would enhance textbook information by leading to additional text info, videos, images, etc. They’d be great for using in student reports or projects, for scavenger hunts, for identifying information in science fairs, art projects, and so much more. Your students will enjoy figuring them out and also creating their own. For ideas how to use them in the classroom and for homework, see Steven W. Anderson’s, “QR Huh? What the Heck Are QR Codes?” The QR Code below asks, “Can you read me?”

Kids & Technologies: How Student Learn

A fourth grade teacher, knowing of my interest in kids and technologies, advised, “You’ve got to read Rewired by Larry D. Rosen. It explains so much about what those of us in education need to know.” She was right. This book and other resources by Rosen give us a glimpse into the “psychology of technology” so that we will be better able to understand how our students learn. According to Rosen, the iGeneration, those students born in the 90s, expect “instant access” to information and people.  These are kids who are constantly connected through digital devices and believe that anything is possible. Additional Information about Rosen’s books is available on his site and at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Innovations to Shape the Future of Teaching

the Journal article 2020 Vision: Talkin’ about a Revolution offers suggestions about changes we may see in teaching over the next decade. The ideas come from what are called “a trio of current and former federal Ed Tech honchos” and ed tech leaders. Some of their individual predictions are: students will lead changes and the relationship between teachers and students will change; there will be more collaborative learning; physical space will become less important, but there will need to be places for face-to-face collaboration; print books will still be used, but use of ebooks and online materials will surge; school environments will be less formal; lessons will be more cross curricular; software and networks  will move off-site to the cloud; students will learn no matter where they are; all students will have their own digital devices and won’t have to wait for instruction; and there will be just-in-time access to provide students with the learning, extra help, or enrichment they need. But, with the predictions come warnings. Teacher Eric Marcos, Santa Monica, CA says that because change is so slow in schools, he doesn’t see much difference ahead for schools. Many of the ed tech leaders agree and suggest that we need to do the following: commit more resources to improving and researching tech in education; help communities embrace use of technologies; be able to “package” and “deliver” teaching by, for example, an exceptional fifth grade math teacher instead of having “fifth-grade math being taught by 10,000 teachers across the country every single day”;  create a “new generation of assessments”; invest more in broadband; and make sure teachers connect with each other.

Do Your Students REALLY Know How to Use Computers?

Do we need computer classes for our students, starting at the primary levels or can the computer skills be taught throughout the curriculum?  Courtney Cairns Pastor, in her article in the Tampa Tribune, interviewed teachers and students about computer skills.  She found that, although students are using computers they may not know what they need to know for the academics and the future employment. Sure, they know texting, gaming, and Googling, but have they mastered typing skills, do they know how to edit in word processors, do they know how to use programs and applications? In the Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, elementary students learn about computer use in reading and mathematics, middle school students have in-depth computer courses, and at the high school level there are courses and a program that includes certifications in software such as Adobe applications. Years ago, most schools had specific computer courses for students. For example, most grade levels had computer class with a computer teacher once or twice a week.  But as technology has moved into the curriculum and the economy tightened, some schools no longer have these courses, which is fine if schools make sure that necessary tech skills are being taught in the regular classrooms.

Frontline: Growing Up Online

The Frontline report, Growing Up Online, features information and discussions on the questions, “Just how radically is the Internet transforming the experience of childhood?” It tackles questions related to students and their beliefs about privacy, private worlds of teens online, teens sharing personal information, teachers and tech, and traditional teaching methods.  The section, Keeping Kids Safe, focuses upon what parents need to know about their children and the Internet, fear of predators, cyberbullying, and state and federal efforts to keep kids safe. You can watch the full program online, view the follow-up report, and read what people who saw the program had to say about it. If you want, you can add your comments about the Internet’s impact on your students. Don’t forget to check out the readings and links, teacher’s guide, and information on what we’ve learned abut kids and the Internet and how our digital generation is doing.

SIIA Ed Tech Videos

The Software Institute & Industry Information Association (SIIA) offers a series of videos designed to give insight into the future of educational technology.  Topics covered include: “Mobility Technology’s Effect on Education (David Byer, Apple, Inc.); “The Educational Technology Revolution” (Clement Erbmann, First Analysis; “International Educational Partnerships” (Rita Ferrandino, Arc Capital Development & Science Companion; “The Impact of Obama’s Data Policies on Education” (Eileen Lento, Intel Corporation); “The Democratization of Education” (Janet Matricciani, K12 Inc.); “Emerging Trends That Will Positively Impact the Ed Tech Industry (Lou Pugliese, eThority); “How Education Technology Is Likely to Revolutionize Education” (Liz Riley-Young, (SAS Institute); and “Open Education Resources” (Jeff Sheistad (Flat World Knowledge). Watch the videos to learn about beautiful high quality content as open resources for schools, partnering internationally though government initiatives, eLearning 3.0, helping students learn individually, connections between formal and informal learning, mobile learning in education, connectivity worldwide, access to the best teachers, cloud computing, budgeting, and much more.

ISTE Season Pass for Webinars & More

The International Society for Technology in Education offers a Season Pass for all the Webinar sessions throughout the year, along with use of ISTE resources and archives. If you sign up, you’ll have access to all the Webinars that have been held since August 2009 in addition to the rest of the Webinars for this year.  Past Webinars have tackled topics such as: Screencasting, Project-Based Learning, 21^st Century Skills, Assistive Technologies, Open Source Software, and New Media Literacy. A list of future Webinars includes: Battery-Powered Computers, Emerging Technologies, Podcasting, MMORPG (What it is and how it can help students), Twitter, Math and Technology, and many more. The Pass is available to members for $200 and to non-members for $500. Admittance to individual Webinars is listed at $50 for members and $125 for non-members.

Are Your Students in the Here & Now Only?

At the Annual Conference for the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, several of the sessions focused on students and their use of technologies.  Discussion during the sessions addressed problems students face and/or students cause when using the Internet, computers, and digital devices. The consensus was that students are so focused upon “the here and now” that they don’t take time to consider how their actions online may cause problems in the future. For example, why do many post inappropriate photos online, when they’ve certainly been told that these photos can damage their reputation, attract those they don’t want to attract, and stand in the way of their college admissions or job opportunities? Why do some students continue to bully others when they have to know that this behavior is unacceptable? Is it about looking good in front of peers? Is it about social acceptance and wanting to make oneself look better than others? Is it about students asserting their independence from the adults in their lives—students trying to grow up and be noticed and accepted? As educational professionals we know that kids’ problems, which sound silly to us often seem like “life and death” dilemmas to them. How do we find ways to give kids what they need so that they will feel safe enough with their “here and now” to do what’s right for their future?