11-4 Final Reflection

This class has taught me many things this semester. Before taking this class, I had a basic understanding of what a technology integration specialist was. By taking this class, it has expanded my depth of knowledge about technology integration specialists and, as a result, I have a more   Technology integration specialists are vital to a student’s education in this day and age.  In order for students to be ready for the 21^st century jobs that awaits them, they need to have the knowledge and skills how to use these tools productively.

complete understanding of the role and expectations of them.

 The first area that this class has helped to develop a more complete understanding concerns collaboration. This is not only collaborating with other colleagues within your school, but outside as well. I feel more confident working with teachers of all ability levels and believe I know how to better assist them into integrating technology into their own instruction.  I now have a personal learning network through Twitter and monitor RSS feeds through Feedly. This will help me to not only share my own ideas with other educators, but to also keep abreast of the latest technological trends, methods, and tools when come available. This is extremely important, as the rate that technology evolves and changes is much faster than traditional curricula.

Because of this class have been able to add tools which were previously unknown me into my toolbox.  An example of this is my PLN as stated earlier. I am also become familiar with tools such as Google Forms, Diigo, VoiceThread, PBWorks, and many others. I have already incorporated into many of my lessons or my own professional learning. I also enjoy the fact that this class used “real” tools in the form of blogs and wikis, rather than just relying on Blackboard like all my previous classes have. By using these tools I’m more familiar with them and able to help other teachers and students use them productively.

I believe that this class has been very beneficial to me. The learning about collaboration, various tools,  the field experience  given me confidence that I could be an effective technology integration specialist,  and effectively,  help hundreds of teachers and students successfully use technology for more than just a glorified typewriter or presentation tool.

9-4 Part 2- Global Education Conference

This past week was the Global Education Conference, a free weeklong web conference for educators. Unfortunately, I was not able to “attend” any of the live sessions but I was able review one of the recorded sessions. I reviewed Connecting Classrooms Through Global Project Based Learning Activities and Resources presented by Kimberly Caise on Nov 20 at 11pm EST. I chose this session because it was the same exact topic we discussed in our class this week! There were as many as 13 participants in the session from places such as Texas, New Jersey, New York , and even India. She provided the participants with a LiveBinder which contained all of the links and resources. She first discussed the setup and several of configurations of the equipment for web conferencing. Next, she spent the remaining time focusing on the various activities involving connecting with other classes the world with her own students along with many resources and tools.  I especially liked how the Jeopardy web conference with another class, as my students love to play the game within our own class for review. I could just imagine how competing with another class might further engage and encourage them! There was so many resources that I found myself going to the linked websites, getting lost in them, and then having to going back and rewind the presentation so I did not miss a thing! 

I believe that the Global Education Conference is a great for all educators, not just “techies.” Like other traditional conferences, teachers can learn, but using a web-conference format, you do not have to leave your house saving time and money. You can also potentially take in more content with a web conference. If there are two sessions that you are interested in at the same time, you can attend one of them and then review the recorded version of the other one later. One advantage a traditional conference has is that there is more networking with the other participants. At traditional sessions, I enjoy meeting with other educators outside of the sessions. Besides that point, I feel that web conferences are the way to go!

  Looking at the list of sessions, I see literally 30 or so I would like to view. I will make it a point to take in many of them over the holiday break I will have some more time to breathe! Because I was not a part of a live session, I was unable to ask a question to the presenter or interact with the other participants, but I will definitely be a part of this next year. The recorded sessions are available in MP3 audio, MP4 video, and Blackboard Collaborate formats. However, I would strongly suggest that you download and utilize the Blackboard Collaborate application as you are able to experience the conference the same way as when it was presented live (i.e. see the comments and questions from the participants).

9-4 The Connected Classroom

Today’s classrooms are more connected to world than ever before. I remember back in sixth grade taking part in a classroom activity that involved writing to a pen pal in Europe. Throughout the whole year we would exchange letters back and forth comparing and contrasting our interests, families, and cultures. Over the course of that year, I believe that we only had exchanged three or four letters.  With the advent of modern day web 2.0 tools connections between students in classrooms across the globe is now possible. In addition, the activities that the students can participate in using these tools are much more engaging than simply writing a letter.

Fernando M. Reimers  believes that “good educators know that the real world is ever more interconnected and interdependent. We all share in facing such planetary challenges as climate change, health epidemics, global poverty, global economic recessions and trade imbalances, assaults on human rights, terrorism, political instability, and international conflicts.” A single person cannot solve these problems; it will take a tremendous amount of collaboration from many experts around the world. This is why it is important that we promote activities that not only help students connect and work together with students in their own class, but also with other students from around the globe. Educators can easily find other classrooms to collaborate with on a variety of sites like ePals, Around The World with 80 Schools, Voice of the World, and many others. In addition, teachers can also connect with other classrooms by building their PLN (as stated in a earlier post).

An example of a project that could connect a classroom globally would be to connect with another educator in a different country and have their students become “e-penpals.” The students could use tools like email, Google Docs, Skype, blogs, and/or Wikis to learn more about and compare and contrast each other’s culture to their own. They could use Skype to interview one another, email pictures of themselves, complete a questionnaire on Google Docs, or create a blog together. Aside from knowing hoe to use these tools, this would also meet the NETS-S standards 2a- interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media, 2b- communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats, 2c- develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures, and 5c- demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.  Once the classrooms have become acquainted, the teachers might want the students to work collaboratively with each other on a given project. This would also cover the NETS-S standard 2d, contribute to project teams to produce original works or to solve problems.

In order for us to prepare the students for the future, we must not only expose them to the tools which they will use when the enter the workforce, but also teach them how to work with others who may not be in the same building, city, state, continent, or maybe even, the same planet!

8-4 Critical Task: Lesson Plan & Web 2.0 Artifact

Here is a lesson plan and an Animoto of what a student might do for a project about the water cycle.

8-1- Digital Storytelling Project

“The NETS help educators build a firm foundation for teaching with technology and further the development of many of the same 21st century skills set forth by the Common Core State Standards, such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration skills" -ISTE Position statement on Common Core State standards

 The NETS and CCSS are not a separate set of standards which teachers must pull from in designing their lessons, but rather a set of standards that will work in tandem with one another to ensure that we are adequately preparing students for the 21st century workforce. Take a look at the video I created with Animoto to illustrate this point.

 

7-4: Google Apps

Google started out as simply a search engine back in the year 1997. Over the next 15 years it has grown beyond just a search engine and became a publicly traded company worth over $93 billion! Many of the products offered by Google can be beneficial in the classroom. Here is a small sample of the many applications offered by Google that cold be beneficial in education.



Calendar-  Calendar is just that; a calendar. The beauty of this calendar is that is web based, meaning you can access it from anywhere and effortlessly sync it to your phone, computer, or tablet's calendar.  It is also great tool because you can share your calendar
with others. One way educators can use this is to share their calendar with their class to keep students and parents informed about assignments and upcoming school events. You can also embed your calendar into your website or blog.



Picasa-  This is a great tool to organize and manage your digital photographs. Once you install Picasa onto your computer, you can upload your photos to Picasa Web and easily share with others though their web albums as well as other social media sites. Not only is this a good way to back up yourmemories, but you can also use Picasa for basic editing purposes.  Students could use Picasa to organize a collection of images for a project, to create a web album, or to put together a collage with their peers.


Google Drive- This application can be used on numerous occasions to produce documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, or for cloud file storage. Students are able to easily produce, store, and collaborate on documents which eliminates the need for installing expensive, proprietary software, flash memory drives (which are always misplaced, lost, or forgotten at home), or emailing documents. Because students will not be using memory drives in different computers, it should reduce the spread of viruses/ malware. Another great aspect of Google Drive is that it is also web
based, meaning that it allows students to work from any computer, tablet, or phone. I use my Google Drive to store and back up my files for work, school, and home so I can access them from anywhere. Furthermore, you can share the items that you create with others (full read and write access, make comments only, or just allow others to view the item). This can allow students and colleagues to work together collaboratively at the same time. I have worked with other colleagues and classmates to critique and comment on each others work, work together to create lesson plans and/or presentations.

I recently have been introduced to Google Forms which is also a part of Google Drive. Forms allows the user to quickly put together a survey, questionnaire, or even a quiz. When the user is fished designing the survey, they are given a link which they can post or send out to everyone who they want to complete or fill out the form. Once someone submits the form, the results go directly into a spreadsheet. Take a look at a survey I created and the preliminary results from it!

5-4- Social Networking

Millions of people use social networking each day. From following your favorite stars on Twitter, catching up with friends on Facebook, posting your resume on LinkedIn, uploading photos to Flickr or Picasa, or recording a vlog for YouTube, social networking has quickly intertwined its way in our society. However, not all places have been quick to embrace social networking. Schools are one of these institutions that have been slow to allow social networking.  The question is, should we tap into the many potential benefits of social networking by allowing it use in schools?

Many schools discourage the use of social networking tools due to concerns about exposing students to objectionable content. Some districts also have concerns over boundary issues between student-teacher interactions when using social media due to past scandals. Even though numerous schools filter or block many of the social networking websites because of these reasons, other schools have embraced social networking. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that when students use social networking sites they “are actually practicing the kinds of 21st-century skills we want them to develop to be successful today…  students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content, and thinking about online design and layout. They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and film, and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The Web sites offer tremendous educational potential. By using social media in the classroom itself, teachers can also gain insight into student learning. Nick Pandolfo states that the “data collected by video games and social media sites can be provided, sometimes in real time, to teachers who can then use it to better understand their students and tailor instruction to meet individual needs.”  For example, a teacher could pose a simple question over Twitter and be able to determine from the student replies who might have a good understanding the lesson and who may need more support. ." Joel Gagne sees other potential benefits to school districts as low cost way to increase engagement and accountability to the community by posting events, budgets, policy campaigns, etc.

While there are legitimate reasons to block social media, I feel that schools can no longer afford to ignore social media entirely. Our job is still to prepare students for the future. Social networking is  one of the many  21^st-century tools  students will productively use when they enter the workforce. In the same way that we do not let unlicensed drivers drive hazardous materials down the highway, we need to provide the proper training in digital citizenship and responsible use for students before they are allowed to use these tools. It would probably not be very productive to allow complete access without proper training have students would quickly become distracted and not use the tool for the intended use. Kristen Wideen has taught her first graders to use social media as a tool for learning and not just something you might use for entertainment. This is not something that might be completed overnight, the procedures may have to be modeled and practiced for over time. In addition to showing and teaching students how to responsibly use these tools, we should also inform students of the potential dangers and consequences of their misuse. By teaching this at a young age we might also help students avoid potential trouble in the future.

After initially blocking almost all social networking tools, my district is now slowly to allowing limited access for teachers to use websites such Twitter and YouTube, but continues to filter many other websites and tools. I do hope that as teachers become more informed and trained on how teach students Internet responsibility and acceptable use, that our district will allow access to many more these of these tools. If teachers are provided with this training the overall potential benefits far outweighs the negatives of using social media in the classroom.

3.3- Professional Learning Network

A personal learning network (PLN) can be an invaluable resource for an educator. PLN are defined as “Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own

learning” (Epcke, 2008). A PLN can be a group of colleagues at your school or district. The old saying that “two heads are better than one” can apply to PLN’s as each member comes together to share ideas, discuss strategies and approaches, and teach each other about new tools. All members can help to contribute the body of knowledge and skills of the whole group. Professional Learning Networks more commonly refer to the exchanging of ideas and discussions on the Internet using various web tools such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Skype, and many others. Online PLN’s can do much the same as the traditional learning communities at your own school only on a much larger scale. Like the learning community at your school, you will continue to exchange information and ideas, but you now have are learning with many more educators in diverse settings. Instead of having 5 to 10 colleagues working together, you may work with several hundred, or even thousands, from all across the world. 

One blog I have recently read is titled Dianne's Digital Discoveries (http://diannekrause.edublogs.org). In her posts, the author presents digital tools, information about educational technology topics, and insight into these resources. I  like the fact that the author shows practical uses of different tools. In her most recent post, she presented a brief overview of two new tools; penzu an online journal or diary and myHistro. I see many applications for both of these sites and will be adding them to my toolbox. In addition to those two tools, she also links her posts to her Diigo account with even more tools! I see this blog as being a great way for educators to keep up to date and informed about new tools and resources.

Another blog I enjoy reading is Cool Cat Teacher Blog (http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com). This blog is similar to the one discussed above, but it tends to offer more commentary and news about education-related topics than presenting various tools. The author makes regular updates in the form of “Daily Education and Technology News for Schools” to her blog. Not only does she present tools, but also give tips and help for their use. She also posts book reviews and even has a podcast, which can be especially helpful with educator’s hectic schedules! Not only is this blog helpful in finding out information about new tools, it also keeps teachers informed with current topics and trends.

References:

Epcke, J. (2008, November). creatingaPLN - PLN defined. Retrieved from http://creatingapln.wikispaces.com/PLN_defined

Digital Citizenship- Blog 2-2

Before people are born today, they begin to compile a digital footprint. This may include medical records, emails, digital photos, text messages, and so forth. Initially this is done by the person’s parents, family, and friends, and medical professionals, but a few years later the person their selves will add to their digital footprint by signing up for different websites, email services, social networking, sharing services,  etc. We have websites that track where we browse, GPS that tracks where we are, and credit records that track what we buy- all without us knowing (unless you read the many, many pages of fine print of the terms of service agreement). This footprint then continues to grow as we get older, and even after we pass on.

So should we therefore just stop using all of the software, devices, web tools, social networking sites, and other modern technologies? That is not a practical decision in this day and age. We should rather be aware of this and choose to use software, websites, and other tools carefully. You may not always want to install free toolbars, free games, and other “adware” or “malware.” It’s like the old saying goes; you don’t get anything for free. Sure you can have a free game, toolbar, or other web tool but be aware that it will usually come with a loss of privacy as well. It is then your responsibility to judge if you accept the trade-off of privacy for use of the tool.

This responsibility is part of digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is defined as “the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use” (Ribble, 2013). There are nine themes of digital citizenship which are encompassed in the categories of include Respect, Educate, and Protect. The themes under the category of respect include netiquette, equal access, and legal ramifications. Under educate we have the themes of communication, literacy, and commerce. Finally, under protect we have rights and responsibility, safety and security, and health and welfare. (Ribble’s website delves with more detailed information about each specific element). These are the elements of teachers and parents must teach to their students and children so that they will be able to use the Internet safely and responsibly.

The question then arises when should children gain their digital citizenship? As stated earlier, our digital footprint begins even before we are born. Therefore, some degree of our digital citizenship occurs before birth. There is no practical way which we cannot control or limit this. The age that children should start using the Internet, devices, games, and other modern technological tools, should be up to their parents. Some parents will allow their children to use the Internet and devices at a very young age with close supervision. Many of my fourth graders have Facebook and/or Twitter accounts, but many do not. Usually parents will give the children permission when they have discussed digital citizenship with their children and feel that they are responsible or mature enough to use these tools. However, teachers cannot automatically assume that all students were taught these skills by their parents and know about, and practice these them. We must be sure that we are also reinforcing these elements at school in order for students to use the Internet and other modern technological devices responsibly. With the heightened expectations brought on by the Common Core State Standards, more and more standardized assessments actually being completed by utilizing technology, and students starting to use technology at a very young age, it is important that we begin teaching digital citizenship, at a developmentally appropriate level,  to our students when they start Kindergarten. This should provide the foundational basis of the concept that will grow as they get older. 

References

Ribble, M. (2013). Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net

The Role of the Technology Integration Specialist

In my previous studies, I learned that a technology integration specialist is much like a curriculum, math, or literacy coach. Their main job is to help the students with staff with training and implementing

various technological devices and tools into their curriculum. The technology integration specialist is to also help students learn how to effectively and responsibly use technology. The majority of our early elementary students will likely come to our schools with experience with technology.  They may use their parent’s iPad, computer, or Smartphone to play games or utilize various apps to learn basic knowledge. Because of their student’s familiarity with technology, educators should always seek ways and methods to integrate technology to help their students better relate to the curriculum. Technology integration specialists should also seek to use technology whenever possible because these will be the same tools that the students will use once they enter the workforce. Technology integration specialists should also help students practice responsibility and digital citizenship.  Students will need to understand not only how to use these tools in an effective manner but acceptable use and responsibilities that come with their use.

It is not enough that we teach students how to responsibly use technology; we must also help our fellow teachers do the same.  Many of the teachers in our schools are digital immigrants, meaning they did not grow up with modern technology. Some teachers may fully embrace these new technologies while others may be extremely reluctant to implement their use in the classroom. The technology integrator must deliver effective professional development, model, coach, and encourage teachers to use these new technologies to better prepare our students. 

The technology integration specialist will also have to work closely with the district information technology department to acquire new technologies and develop ways to integrate those in the curriculum. As school budgets may already be thin, this may involve quite a bit of creativity. The integration specialist may consider grant writing, partnerships, donations, and/or fundraising efforts to acquire expensive tools. In order for specialists to be able to do this, we must be well-informed and have a preconceived notion and plan for implementation once this tool is acquired.

Even though the physical hardware and access is essential, technology integrators should be concerned less about the individual devices and more of how these devices are used in the classroom. David Warlick states, "21st century learning is about the experience, not about the tools you are using. The experience defines the tools, not the other way around" (2010). One way to think about this by using the example of a pencil. A pencil is a simple tool made of wood, graphite, metal, rubber, and paint. It, by itself, cannot do anything other than take up space. It is the user of the tool that can manipulate it to sketch a portrait, solve a math problem, or write an essay. Likewise, it is not the tool itself that the technology integrator should focus on, but rather how they will be used. 

Reference:

Warlick, D. (2010, August 16). Technology for 21st Century Learning: Part 1 : 2¢ Worth. Retrieved from http://2cents.onlearning.us/?p=2712