EDLD+5364+ePortfolio

__**Assignment - Week 5 - Part 1**__ I have to wonder if one of the reasons that teachers shy away from integrating technology in the curriculum is the fact that it is more difficult to nail down the minute details of the learning that has taken place. For example, teachers prefer to rely on drill-and-kill type programs like FasttMath for learning math facts, than to let the kids work their way through any number of math fact games easily found on websites such as [|www.coolmath.com]. One of the advantages of ‘educational’ software like FasttMath is that it provides a clear record of the exact math facts the student has mastered.

This example is certainly oversimplified, but it emphasizes the point Sasha Barab makes when he says that “what’s exciting about this world is ultimately what determines whether something is valuable is how the next community takes it up” and not the grade the teacher gives the student (Edutopia.org). James Paul Gee states that “kids don’t just want to consume, they want to produce” (Edutopia.org). A program like FasttMath is never going to motivate students to find out more; they are never going to be compelled to urge each other on collaboratively.

Frankly, I’ve never been able to remember the answers to 8x7 and 9x6, and I probably never will. These two particular math facts have always eluded me. Still, I know how to find the answer. Barab says, however, that we are actually past that point: “We’re at a point where it’s not so much about getting information; it’s about using information to accomplish particular ends” (Edutopia.org). One way to do this is through video games. Gee believes that “video games put you into worlds where you have to solve problems” (Edutopia.org).  Gee goes on to says that “a video game is just an assessment…if you don’t solve (the problem), the game says you failed, try again, and then you solve it, and you pass the test” (Edutopia.org). Too often teachers are afraid of failure and they (along with parents) pass this fear on to the students. Outside of school, students are less inclined to fear failure. Consider the number of students who spend hours learning to play baseball, ride a skateboard, or master a video game. They drop the ball, skin their knees, and die before reaching their in-game goal. Barab believes that “failure is motivating; it’s not something to be avoided” (Edutopia.org).  Teachers should be helped to fear failure less. Using digital tools seems risky to many, but Gee says that “when we start to stress innovation and creativity, digital tools will seem a lot less risky” and “if teachers are learning the digital tools alongside their students and modeling learning” the advantages can be enormous (Edutopia.org).

Edutopia.org (nd). Big Thinkers: Sasha Barab on New-Media Engagement. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009, from [].

Edutopia.org (nd). Big thinkers: James Paul Gee on grading with games. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009, from []. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  __**Assignment – Week 4 – Part 1**__

Throughout more than 20 years in education, I have had the privilege of listening to many speakers, brought in (at no small expense) specifically for professional development training, tell about the “latest and greatest” innovation in education. I have lost track of the number of times that teachers with far more years of experience have said, “Oh, we did that 15 years ago, only they called it “ .” The speakers were generally entertaining and usually offered good advice, and we educators probably benefited from the reminder. For the most part, however, many teachers reacted in a jaded, “been there done that” fashion.

Technology is continually changing, but you could hardly say that the tools being introduced today are simply re-tooled versions of something else. Each tool seems to be an improvement, a response to a call for a better way to do things. Its biggest advantage, I believe, is that it offers a variety of tools accessible to anyone, regardless of learning style or ability. As a foreign language teacher, I can remember hoarding any little bits of “realia” that I could get my hands on; paper placemat menus from a McDonald’s in Madrid, subway maps, street maps, newspaper ads, magazines…anything that demonstrated a real use of the language. These items were soon dated or worn out and archiving the pieces was a source of frustration. Besides, I really did not want to look at the same items year after year. (Teachers get bored, too!)

Enter the Internet. The first time I used the Web for a classroom activity was to print a Spanish television schedule. What a powerful activity it was! And when we began allowing student access to the Internet, the students themselves could use their budding knowledge of the Spanish language and apply it to what they already knew about television guides to navigate the Spanish television websites. It made so much more sense to them than an obviously contrived activity. (Kids know the difference!)

According to Seymour Papert, a distinguished professor at MIT, putting students at the center of the learning process is the key to transforming the educational system. “You have to give up the idea of curriculum, curriculum meaning you have to learn this on a given day. Replace it by a system where you learn this where you need it. That means we will have put kids in the position where they’re going to use the knowledge that they’re getting.” (Edutopia, Project Learning: An Overview)

Teachers used to spend immense energy creating resources and accommodations from scratch. Cut-and-paste used to literally mean cutting out bits of different paper copies and taping them together to form a more appropriate activity! Technology gives us the ability to make learning real to the students and to provide them with an enormous archive of resources. These resources easily accommodate different learning styles and abilities. It is our job as technology leaders to encourage educators to see technology’s great potential and to motivate them to become more comfortable with its power.

===Edutopia.org (nd). Project Learning: An Overview. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009, from []. ===

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__** UDL Reflection **__

I learned from working through the steps of the UDL lesson that differentiation becomes vastly easier with the use of the many technology tools at hand. I chose to have student groups create Voki avatars and program them to voice significant facts about the 13 American Colonies. In this activity, each student, regardless of learning style or disability, will be able to take part by providing knowledge previously acquired and discussing the creation of the Vokis.

Additionally, by allowing student choice in the format for the project reflection, they are given an additional opportunity to reflect on the knowledge gained and to demonstrate their individual creativity through technology. Rose and Meyer state that “successful learning experiences challenge and support each learner appropriately and adjust as the learner changes over time” (Rose & Meyer, 2002). I have learned through this course that reflection requires the student to analyze and evaluate above and beyond the lesson. Allowing the student to choose a format with which they’re familiar permits them to focus less on the method and more on producing a quality reflection in a creatively motivating way. For example, creating a podcast is an appropriate method for a visually impaired student, but it can be just as appealing to students who have other learning differences that make writing or typing more strenuous. This also provides an outlet for students who are gifted; verbally-gifted students and others who are simply more comfortable with a mic than a pen!

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from [].

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 * __Assignment – Week 3 – Part 1 __**


 * When I was in third grade in Georgia, I had a teacher who was skilled at recognizing the diverse needs of her differently abled students. I will forever remember a scrapbook project we completed on the history of the first Georgia settlement under Oglethorpe and the important symbols of our state. I distinctly remember sitting on the classroom floor sharing crayons with a classmate and diligently recreating a brown thrasher sitting on a branch of Cherokee Rose. Would I still remember those moments if I had been instructed to sit quietly and write an essay about them? Not likely. Second grade had been a miserable experience, where I inevitably was made to stand at the back of the room due to my inability to sit still and be quiet! **


 * That project surely took much longer to finish than an essay would have, but the knowledge gained lasted even longer. How much more can we engage today’s students with the wealth of technology at our fingerprints! As Liz Perle of Common Sense Media states, our students “have more powerful tools than they’ve ever had in any generation in history” (Edutopia, nd). And the same is true of teachers. We also have a whole host of tools none of us ever imagined; even those who have been educators only a few years are faced with more options each year. **


 * I have discussed in previous posts the need for teacher training and support to help them use the tools they need. Another factor in integrating technology is time. Many times we train teachers on new technology simply because we are deploying a new program or new hardware and we want them to begin using it as soon as possible. We must consider where the teacher is in the curriculum and if the new technology is an appropriate teaching tool at that time. Pitler reminds us that “demonstrating learning should drive the lesson design” and not be an afterthought (Pitler, et al., 2007). We should help the teacher match the learning objective to the technology tool in our toolbox. It is just as important to make the activity meaningful to the teacher as it is the students. **


 * Additionally, teachers will complain that they do not have the time to take students to the lab; they do not feel the time it takes to complete a technology-rich lesson merits the time away from classroom instruction. We know “that the more immediate feedback is in classroom settings, the greater its impact on student behavior (Kulik & Kulik, 1988)” (Pitler, et al., 2007). Pitler further points out that “technology is especially effective when it comes to providing this kind of feedback” (Pitler, et al., 2007). We can help teachers consider technology-based strategies that provide immediate feedback to the user, thereby enhancing the learning experience and helping the teacher manage instructional time more effectively. **


 * Edutopia.org (nd). Welcome to the Digital Generation. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from []. **

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 * Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 41-58, 217-225. **

**__Assignment – Week 2 – Part 1__**
====**As in many districts, we are experiencing a decrease in the number of positions available and in the way we are expected to perform our jobs. Strangely enough, the reduction in the number of Instructional Technology Specialists that we are able to support has actually meant a return to what, I feel, is the primary focus of my job – professional development in technology. **====

====**A common theme in this week’s readings is the effect of technology use on student achievement. The studies discussed in these articles stated how consistently technology benefits student achievement, regardless of socioeconomic status, subject matter studied, or student attitude at the beginning of the program. Not much information was offered on how the technology was implemented and what training the educators received to make quality instruction happen. **==== ====**Page states that “although the advantages of computers in modern society are quite evident, it may be that technology, if only in educational circles, has failed to fully prove itself” (Page, 2002). He suggests that, to some, the large amount of money that has been poured into implementing technology in instruction may not justify the sometimes weak results returned. **====

====**I believe the missing piece is the lack of teacher training and, more importantly, follow-up to the training that //is// provided. A significant factor is the lack of time. Teachers are receiving fewer professional development opportunities each year. There is far less money available to provide for outside workshops (which would involve paying for travel and substitutes and the like) and the professional development days provided by the school district must increasingly compete with assessment and other issues for equal time. **====

====**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">You simply cannot provide a teacher with the technology and assume that they will be interested or convinced enough to take the time to learn its use on their own. Not only do they have to learn to operate the equipment, but they also have to determine how best to integrate the technology in the curriculum. **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Schacter supports the effectiveness of teacher training in his article on current research on the impact of educational technology on student achievement. Positive findings regarding the state of West Virginia’s Basic Skills/Computer Education program reveal that “consistent student access to the technology, positive attitudes towards technology (//by both teachers and students//), //and teacher training in the technology// led to the greatest student achievement gains” (Schacter, 1999). In Schacter’s assessment of the National Study of Technology’s Impact on Mathematics Achievement, it was found that “eighth-grade students //whose teachers// received professional development on computers showed gains in math scores of up to 13 weeks above grade level” (Schacter, 1999). In his conclusion on the impact and effectiveness of technology, he points out that “learning technology is less effective or ineffective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of the technology use is diffuse” (Schacter, 1999). **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">For technology to have the desired positive impact on students the goals must be clearly delineated and the teachers must receive the necessary training and follow-up support to make it happen. **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Page, M. S. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. //Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34//(4), 389-409. Retrieved October 5, 2009 from the International Society for Technology in Education at [] **==== _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Schacter, J. (1999). //The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most// //current research has to say.// Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from []. **


 * __<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Assignment - Week 1 - Part 1 __**


 * The most valuable experience I am gaining from my Lamar University studies is the exposure to the research behind the practice. Much of the practice I have learned on the job, previously in the classroom as a foreign language educator and now as I train teachers in the use of the technology available in our school district. Much of the practice I have learned the hard way. Some lessons worked, others definitely did not. About 10 summers ago, I was fortunate to be chosen to participate in a week-long Constructivism workshop called The Picasso Project (Eanes ISD). I became comfortable with involving students in creating their own learning scenarios and it taught all of us many excellent lessons, not only about the curriculum, but also about collaboration and organization. The student began to take much of the responsibility for their learning and it was empowering, to them and to me. Currently, I am moving to a more administrative level at work and decisions I am preparing to make will affect many teachers and many more students. I cannot afford to "practice" and it is critical that I learn to rely on the research to better plan the implementation. **

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 * I have learned much more this week about collaboration. It has been a tremendous learning experience to work with four colleagues as we solve the issues of communication, organization, and decision-making completely online. The rules of engagement, so to speak, are the same in theory, but are quite different in practice. Bransford (et all, 2000) states that "interactivity makes it easy for students to revisit specific parts of the environments to explore them more fully, to test ideas, and to receive feedback." I think the same applies to our experience with the group project. I relish being able to return to the team Google site and the Google Docs to refresh my memory and to review the information as I brainstorm ideas for the group project. **======


 * One reading I especially enjoyed was the article on social networking technologies (McPheeters, 2009). The guiding question posted by the professors asked us to think about the technology that would be the impetus for the next generation shift in education. This really gave me pause. In my current position, I am generally asked to implement the technology already purchased and in place. This particular question was an interesting challenge, so I gave it some thought. **


 * I think wireless touch pad technology will be the next great shift in education. It is becoming more widely-accepted by the general public and, as such, the public will begin to support, indeed expect, its use in education. MP3 players have been mainstream for several years. Smart phones are commonplace, even among secondary students. It’s only a matter of time before this acceptance extends to wireless touch pads like the iPad or the new HP TouchPad tablets. There is increasing discussion among librarians and media specialists about supplementing library resources with electronic readers like the Kindle or the Nook. I believe it makes even more sense for schools to begin implementing handheld computers like the iPad that offer much more variety in the types of applications they can run. **


 * Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved on October 4, 2009, from []. **


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> McPheeters, D. (2009, march). Social networking technologies in education. Tech and Learning. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from []. **