Engaging Millennials

https://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/engaging-millennials/

In Mike Broderick's column, "Engaging Millennials", he focuses on a group of learners, now called the Millennials, and the challenges we face in educating this generation.   According to Broderick, the Millennials is a generation 80 million strong in the U.S., and educators, along with employers, are discovering diverse and unique ways to educate this generation.

According to Broderick, this generation has grown up online, and they have been in constant communication with their peers through social media. Millennials require interactivity to process and learn.  To engage this generation, educators and trainers need to to keep in mind the digital focus and technology orientation of students that are part of this generation when developing lessons and a learning environment.

Broderick suggested 5 tips to keep in mind when educating Millennials.  First of all, teachers need to use response technology to give this generation a voice in the classroom.  Instead of a lecture driven PowerPoint lesson, teachers need to embed the ability to respond during the lecture, whether it is through interactive polls or surveys aggregated on the spot, to keep the audience focused and involved.

Another suggestion is to define learning objectives and key takeaways upfront.  Millenials want to know what to expect and what value they will receive from the lesson. Millennials prefer open, transparent communication in class, so it is good for a teacher to state their goals upfront and periodically measure student progress. Broderick also suggests that when using digital resources, such as slide presentations or websites, teachers need to keep the look clean and simple.  Teachers should keep information clear and concise to view and use classroom discussion to add more detailed information. According to Broderick, the visual messages should be short and focused, and educators should employ visual elements such as images or video for Millennials.

Millenials, according to Broderick, will not stay engaged in the normal presentation that allows a question-and-answer session at the end, so he suggests that presenters allow interactivity throughout the lesson. Finally, Millenials prefer two-way conversations rather than top-down lectures, so in order for students to feel part of the personalized learning process and hold their attention, teachers must provide certain technology solutions and presentation techniques.

I agree with Broderick's assessement of the Millenials generation.  I can definitely see a change in how my students respond to lessons today compared to even just 10 years ago, and students today are somewhat victims of the "instant gratification" culture that current technology devices have given us.  I have heard and experienced how visual this generation is and can see how infographics and videos are effective with this population. Regardless of the reasons, we as educators need to understand ways to present information and content to our Millenials so that our lessons are effective and produce the results we need to assess.

Playing High-Action Video Games May Speed Up Learning, Studies Say
Sarah D. Sparks
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/13/13video.h34.html?r=516143060

This article is going to add fuel to a couple of fires. The gamers will use it as a defense of their time spent gaming. Opponents of video games will see the article in support of their stance to limit video game time. Researcher Daphne Bavelier from the Rochester Center for Brain Imaging argued that regular playing of action games can improve students' attention control. "Gamers really are better learners," Ms. Bavelier said. "These people come to a task and very fast learn what are the task requirements, suppress any distractions, and focus on the task at hand. It's not that they have better vision acuity; it's that they learn to have better vision acuity." Ms. Bavelier  discussed how an action game is "a massive assault on all parts of brain function," and complicated decisions are being made on video and audio data at multiple overlapping levels.

For example, one study showed gamers learned new language twice as fast as nongamers. Another study showed that gamers "had much faster reaction times, but were no less accurate, and performed as well on tests of impulsivity and sustained attention as nonplayers."

I was mulling over an application of this article to teaching. A composition teacher could have students record their game-playing session for five minutes and write an essay describing the thought processes involved in that segment. What events led to certain decisions? A math teacher could practice math facts with flash cards to reinforce quick recall of those important facts. A P.E. teacher could have students design a workout similar to an obstacle course using mats to mimic a side-scrolling platformer.

This article may have teachers rethink their presentation of material. Many students play a wide variety of action games. The content delivery could be sped up. However, I think the information needs to be repeated and reviewed at intervals just as elements of an action game are repeated.

Privacy Concerns of Tracking Apps for Kids

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/17/technology/privacy-concerns-for-classdojo-and-other-tracking-apps-for-schoolchildren.html?_r=1

Response by Tyler Breitbarth

How does your school manage its data on students? Does your school keep all data locally or allow a third-party to store and manage student data? This is a growing concern among parents and educators across the country, particularly with an app that tracks student behaviors, named ClassDojo. ClassDojo is being used by "at least one teacher in one out of every three schools in the U.S." Teachers use ClassDojo to track student's behavior in the classroom as well as communicate that data to the parents.

While some parents enjoy getting that information, others, including members of the legal community, have questioned how private ClassDojo and the like are and how the data will be used in the future. For example, does a behavior issue in 3rd grade follow a student until high school graduation? College Applications? Job Interviews? Many of the critics of this app also disagree with its method of classroom discipline called the "carrot and stick" method, adding rewards for positive behavior and punishments for negative behavior.

A concern among parents is the lack of consent this app requires before teachers use it in the classroom. The teacher can decide to use it without consent of parents or schools. However, according to the terms agreement, the teacher, by signing up, is stating that he or she was authorized by the school to use the app. Looking at larger school districts, one can see a problem with tracking independently used teacher apps. Questions have also been raised are who owns the data and how is it shared. The privacy policy should say it does not sell, lease, or share your (students) personal information to any third party.

Lastly, parents, and educators, have been critical of the premise of the app. Some have suggested that this app uses outdated practices. "This is just a flashy digital update of programs that have been long used to treat children like pets, bribing or threatening them into compliance."

I agree that this app does raise some concerns. Student data of any kind is sensitive material and should be guarded. However, I believe a lot of concern that comes from parents are from the things they either don't know or haven't heard of. For example, some parents in our school district, when we switched to Google, had a concern over who would be able to access student e-mails. Some were concerned about how Google's advertisements use emails to target specific products to people. Google's Apps for Education keeps all data in the hands of the school and does not allow the information out.

However, it still comes down to trusting Google and knowing what is happening with their children's information. The same goes for other apps. Schools/teachers should keep parents informed of what is being used in the classroom and address their concerns early.

Ten Pillars of Successful Technology Implementation

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/poole/poole011.shtml

As the title suggests, this article is a list of ten key components for successful technology implementation.  The first is that leadership must provide active and committed support.  This includes school board, superintendent, principals and teachers and includes things such as release time and training.  The second is that everyone needs to buy into this change.  According to the author, this happen successfully when teachers are enabled to become "the best they can through consultation, collaboration, communication, support, respect, and encouragement" rather than as something that is forced on them.  The third, as we have talked about in class, is investing in and training a core team of teachers.  These individuals should be given release time to work with other teachers and administrators.  Number four is to recognize that technological change is fast and schools must keep up to date.  Lesson prep that involves technology take more time and thus districts need to provide teachers with opportunities to stay current on technology and time to integrate these strategies into their classrooms.  Number five also deals with professional development and the fact that teachers must receive ongoing training because tech integration cannot happen without sufficient knowledge and skill.

To start the second half, Poole states that technical support (Instructional Technology Specialist) should be onsite and readily available for teachers to access.  The seventh is that there is no point in purchasing technology for teachers who are not going to use it.  Number eight is to include students and parents in the process.  Technology allows for much greater communication.  Pillar nine is that districts must plan for the financial future in budgeting for technology and that even though budgets are tight the technology budget shouldn't be trimmed.  The final pillar is that because children are growing up in a technological world they should not be denied access to technology.  Learning needs to continue beyond the classroom and technology can make that happen.

A lot of the topics we have discussed in class are covered in this article.  This article just seems to have them in one concise list.  I think the second pillar of getting everyone on board is very important and really appreciated the atmosphere it described that is necessary for this to happen.  I also think number three, training a core team of teachers, is important because that can help number two happen.  Number four is one that I haven't heard mentioned as much, but is one that is true for me any way.  It talks about the fact that planning lessons with technology that are student centered take longer to plan and that teachers need to be given appropriate time to make this happen.  I know for me it definitely takes longer to plan lessons with technology.

I wouldn't say that I disagree with any of these.  I think some of them are more critical than others, but technology integration would benefit from all of these.  The bottom line I think is the last pillar makes the rest of them necessary.  That because we live in a technology driven world and are preparing our students for this world, we can't afford to push technology integration aside.

What Digital Literacy Looks Like in the Classroom

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/29/ctq_crowley_digitalliteracy.html?r=826473302

It is often assumed that because today's students have grown up with technology that they are "digitally literate."  Digital literacy, as defined by the New York Department of Education, is, “having the knowledge and ability to use a range of technology tools for varied purposes.” The author's point is that students are often no more digitally literate than their parents when it comes to being able to use a range of technology for a variety of purposes. There are basic, essential digital skills that every student should be taught. Many districts are implementing a digital literacy curriculum as part of their BYOD or 1:1 initiatives.

Teachers who truly embed the technology into their classroom are also helping students understand how to use the technology in an educationally appropriate way. There are multiple resources available to help, including a federal government website to help teachers collaborate on best practices in technology implementation, Google a Day, and Google's Search Education site with information on teaching students how to search more effectively.

Because technology can also be used for harm, educators tend to see it as a monster which must be locked down rather than emphasizing the good that come from technology. Instead of fearing technology, it's the educator's responsibility to teach students how to use it appropriately by modeling appropriate digital citizenship.

In addition to lack of ed tech professional development and accountability for teachers, digital literacy is another component of embedding technology that I think is often overlooked. Unless teaching digital literacy is included in the ed tech professional development, I can see it being one more thing to turn teachers away from using technology in their classrooms.

A Student Explains What's Wrong With Our School System And Why We Mistrust Teachers

http://www.upworthy.com/a-student-explains-whats-wrong-with-our-school-system-and-why-we-mistrust-teachers-nails-it-6

I found a video, rather than an article, that was very powerful. It definitely reminded me of PARCC and all of the stress around it. A high school senior gave his opinion on how the education system is affecting our teachers and students. He expressed that high-stakes testing does not create the type of minds we want in our country. That education should focus on “creativity, appreciations, inquisitiveness” and that the testing standards presented to our students don’t leave room for these crucial things. If we are to prepare students to be life-long learners, we should not have only standards to base their success on, but other areas to see growth as a human rather than growth to a predetermined limit.

I like that our Common Core standards are focusing more on problem solving and attempt to allow students to learn deeper about a subject, but classrooms are still expected to complete high-stakes testing. This student addressed that this sort of testing creates insecurity within teachers and doesn’t allow them to do the things they were hired to do: Inspire those life-long learning traits. He stated that our nation is “producing workers-everything is career and college preparedness.” But if we turn our focus from this type of destination learning and put more emphasis on open-ended, less pressure learning then “the careers will come naturally”. It’s obvious that our education system is not perfect. There are so many variables, grey-areas and mixed interests. I think that the emergence of technology is helping to drive the education system to the way it should be. Allowing our students a hands-on, individualized, creation-based type of learning is the direction it looks like we’re heading.

I believe we discussed that in order for education to truly change, there must be a change in the string of things that go along with it. The colleges must change their ways, state testing must be adapted to show more than memorization, and teachers must be allowed to inspire and drive learning rather than show a percentage. He states “Standards based education is ruining the way we teach and learn. The task of teaching is never quantifiable….If everything I learned in high school is a measurable objective, I have not learned anything.” I agree that it is stressful to keep up with the demands, I’m sure you all can relate. I do like these points, but I also don’t have a solution to the problem. I think we will eventually get there, but there will always be flaws. I’m glad that there are people who care deeply about education and are willing to discuss these aspects rather than accept what it currently is.

Of MOOCs and Technology: Why True Education is Not Content Delivery

So I had never heard of these MOOCs until I started this program, so thought I would look into those more. I came across this article and it is evident that this writer, professor, and retired Lt. Colonel of the Air Force does NOT think much of them.  He emphasized that education should be about inspiration and delivered by those with passion for the topic in order for students to get the most out of education.  William Astore felt that you needed to make a connection to that learning and that memorizing information and then taking a multiple choice test on the subject was not going to make a student retain that information.  Unfortunately, these MOOCs seem to be a product of, again, reducing costs (like everyone is trying to do),  because they require no classrooms, materials, utilities, etc.  

He also believe the technology is “overhyped” in today’s schools.  He feels that many teachers incorporate technology because it is trendy instead of when it is appropriate.  That too many of our students are staring at computer screens all day instead listening to enthusiastic creative teachers and professors tell very vivid and exciting stories and lectures.  

I do agree with him on some levels.  I never have wanted to take online classes for these same reasons.  I need something to connect to when I learn so that I can retain the information.  That connection is usually with the teacher or professor that I have.  Along with not being sure if I would have the discipline to keep myself on task throughout the course without “skating” by.  On the other hand, I don’t believe that in my district, we overhype technology.  If anything we need to make some strides to catch up with the rest of the world!

Educational Technology Isn’t Leveling the Playing Field. In fact, it’s making achievement gaps even bigger.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/06/neuman_celano_library_study_educational_technology_worsens_achievement_gaps.html

This article made me sad.  As a special education teacher, we are taught how to use technology to help 'close the gap' in learning between our students and average students.  In this article, libraries of two close in distance but quite far apart in achievement and socioeconomic status were studied.  I guess I should say, the libraries were the setting of the study, and what was studied was children's learning and academic abilities.
In the two suburbs of Philadelphia, there are two neighborhoods.  Chestnut Hill, which historically has been and remains an affluent area, while, conversely, Kensington is known appropriately as "The Badlands" because of the ill repair of the city, homes, buildings, and streets.  Obviously the schools have to teach the same standards, but as we all know schools are funded based on tax bases.  Simply just studying the academic accomplishments of the two schools would be unfair. However, once both public libraries were stocked with equal amounts of state of the art technology, the playing field had then been changed.
The researchers were trying to prove that if low socioeconomic areas were supplied with newer technology, the gap in academic achievement would lessen.  Unfortunately what was found was exactly the opposite.  Students in "The Badlands" continued to perform significantly below the level of achievement compared to the students from Chestnut Hill.  Of course, this being exactly the opposite of the desired result, they set out to find out why the disparity.
Well, what was found was not all that unique.  Students from more affluent and educated homes are exposed to reading, numbers, letters, and technology used in appropriate, educational ways much earlier and more often than students of less affluent and educated homes.  It was found that the students from Chestnut Hill were supervised how they used technology, while the students from Kensington were less supervised and found ways to make the programs into games, rather than learning experiences.
This is nothing new to educators.  We know the value of supervision of studying, and early reading, writing and number sense helps students learn more, earlier.  And, knowing all of these things, most of the parents who do supervise their students' learning value education and pass that value on to their children.  Now, this does not say that just because a student comes from a less affluent, or poor family, he or she can't become quite intelligent and successful in school and life, but with parents how possess more education and employment, typically their students do much better.

Before Buying Technology, Asking "Why?"

Link

It seems so simple, right?  But how often do districts buy devices only to ask later "Now what??"  This article mentioned how nearly $400 million was given out by the US Depart. of Education for its Race to the Top grant program.  Almost all of the 21 districts that received these funds, used the money to create 1 to 1 digital device plans.

Of course, any technology providers are not going to turn down money from the schools. so districts believe that these major technology purchases will help guide students into a more personalized learning school.  But that is not always the case!

One representative from the International Association for K-12 online learning said that she receives 5 to 6 calls a day from different principals and superintendents who are "buying the technology without thinking through what their specific learning goals and outcomes are, and technology might not be the right tool for that."  Personalized learning can be implemented without technology.  It may be easier with technology, but its not impossible.

What I found most interesting about this article, is the suggestion that a good 1-to-1 program will take 3-5 years to implement!!  Time to craft a plan, get parties on board, and time to integrate instructional changes.  We all know teachers who have been given tablets, apple tvs, smartboards, Chormebooks, iPads etc only to have them sit there, unused.   Another key to implementing, is to TRAIN teachers, principals and parents even BEFORE distributing and having students manage them.

Its the typical "cart before the horse" logic.  We give students these devices before we know how to use them ourselves or before we know what to do with them.  I work with a teacher who would LOVE to utilize the technology given to her, I know she would use it more efficiently, but she honestly doesn't understand the basic parts to the devices (iPads) given to her and she is "afraid to mess it up" by adding things to it.  Right now her iPads are being used for center times/games but I know she would like to do more with them.  It turns into a time issue, when to have the time to do it and I know she would like to have someone with her the entire time (step by step) while she is trying to use it.  (Sounds like the perfect PD plan, right?)

This article ended with a simple "the vision needs to come first" statement.  Before giving teachers the latest gadget because they are new and cool and "thats what the other schools are using" we need to  talk to the teachers and see what their needs are in the classroom.  We need to provide time to train and use the products before the kids get ahold of them.  It can be as simple as asking "why" and "what for".

Your Fourth Grader and Technology

http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/420-fourth-grade-technology.gs?page=all

I haven't ever come across an article like this. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the article was basically telling me what a 4th grade student should be able to use and do on the computer. It ranged from word processing to creating, or typing to research. It provided a list and description of what a typical 4th grade classroom should look like who has implemented technology. There was a lot of variety between programs to be familiar with and skills the kids should have.

My favorite paragraph is below:

"To get the maximum benefit from technology, the best classrooms incorporate technology into regular lessons that develop students' higher-order thinking skills, promote creativity and facilitate learning. Your child's teacher may also use technology to evaluate students' progress."

This relates to what we have talked about in almost every class through this program so far. I couldn't help but compare my classroom to the expectations this article is displaying. I feel like though I could always do more, I meet most of these standards. It is nice to see something like this laid out and easy to read. We are all doing whatever makes sense to us in the way of implementation, so I appreciated that someone wrote a measurable list that they felt was appropriate for 4th grade. 

I wish I knew more of the implementation in our school. I can honestly say I have no idea what other teachers are doing with technology. I was thinking more about this list, and it would be great if we could meet as a group or even as a grade level and establish a basic list similar to this. It would help our school and grade levels get on the same page as to what they think the minimum or even typical classroom should look like who are implementing technology. Maybe it would seem more manageable to some because expectations are out there in a clear and concise way?

7 Ways to Deal With Digital Distractions in the Classroom

http://www.edudemic.com/7-ways-deal-digital-distractions/ 

7 Ways to Deal With Digital Distractions in the Classroom

Digital devices seem to be almost everywhere today in education. According to the author of this article, if those devices are embraced wholeheartedly, they become a powerful tool for creating an engaged and individualized education experience. If they are not embraced, they tend to become a distraction rather quickly.  The author goes on to point out that most teachers see them as both, depending on the group in front of them, and the time of the day. One thing that we can all be sure of, is that they are here to stay.

I tend to agree with the opening of this article. Staff members that I know embrace digital devices use them to engage their students and to individualize education. Those staff members that do not, are constantly complaining about the distractions. Again, I see in myself that there are certain times when I good at the ipads in my room as both. The article goes on to say, rather than complain, we need to find ways to deal with distractions. This article lists seven of them

1.    Destroy the multi-tasking myth: Constantly when I catch students doing something they aren't supposed to be doing, I hear “but I was listening.” Sometimes they can even tell me what I was talking about. Just because they hear, and and repeat it right away does not mean they are retaining that information. Yes they can do two things at once, but they probably can’t do two things well.

2.       Don’t ban smart phones: When I first started teaching, this was the policy. When schools ban them outright, it takes away from the students’ ability to personalize the lesson on their own. For example, if the teacher uses a term the students doesn't know, they can look It up quickly, or google something they want more information on.

3.       Break up long digital readings in to short paragraphs. People read differently online. It’s too hard to process long, drawn out paragraphs digitally. Readers want short, chunked up information. If creating something digitally, chunk it up. Admittedly, I am not great about this, mostly because I never really considered it. I will not though.

4.       Use those same distractions to foster learning. If you have a student who loves to text, have them write a story all in texts. If you have an avid gamer, have them create a script for their very own game. Get creative!

5.       Don’t post everything online. Fight the urge to give them detailed lecture notes before the lesson. They will have no reason to pay attention. Sometimes I am guilty of this. I give the students too much. They know they can reference it later, so they do not pay attention. This is a lesson I have had to learn.

6.       Create interesting lessons in the real world. There was a time when we all had to do this. I’m sure we can remember how. Give the students something to do that doesn’t revolve around their devices every now and again.

7.       Teach students to control themselves. Model this for them. When the email notification goes off, fight the urge to check it in front of the students. Teach them that it’s ok to wait. I struggle with this one…a lot. But how can I expect my students not to look, when I look too. So I’m working on it.

The author of this article puts forth some good suggestions and ideas on how to work around a new kind of problem in the education world. There have always been distractions, but never before have they been right at the students’ fingertips. It’s more imperative than ever before that we as educators do what we can to curb those distractions. 

Seven Technology Tips for Younger Elementary

Seven Technology Tips For Younger Elementary

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/technology-tips-younger-elementary

This article gives teachers seven tips on how to bring technology into a primary classroom.  The author briefly explains that teachers are not integrating technology into their classrooms because of this fear of technology. How in the world do teachers teach 6 year olds to create projects using technology?  A lot of times, teachers want to incorporate technology but their fears tend to get in the way. The author suggests seven tips to help ease the minds of primary teachers. Tip #1: Before introducing a new tool to your students, play around with it. I completely agree with this! I think it is extremely important to practice and explore a little before introducing something new to your students. Especially to get an idea of what things students might have the most problems with. You have to be a little familiar with what you are teaching before you teach it!  Tip #2: Don’t try to teach too much at one time. I think this is something that any teacher needs to remember! Kids can easily get overwhelmed especially the younger students and throwing too much at them at one time, will most likely get the students to shut down.  The article suggests choosing one or two goals to start with to save yourself a headache in the end.  I think this is especially important with the younger kiddos.  Tip #3: Let students who quickly master the skills, help others. I think other children can be a great resource to other students. I also think there is less pressure when students have their peers to help them. I know some of my students would absolutely thrive on being able to help others!  Tip#4: Use your students as a resource.  This tip talks about training a tech savvy student, to teach others. Use this person as another teacher who can sit and help other students while the teacher is helping someone else. Tip #5: Start small.  First, think about the skills needed to complete the project, teach them those skills before introducing the project.  Tip #6: If you have a student who is a non-reader dictate to you what they want to write or pair them with a student who is an early finisher.  Tip #7: Assess student progress with technology tools.  The article suggests a simple checklist to help keep track of students who may struggle.  The article goes on to talk about how it is okay to feel overwhelmed because there is always a learning curve when learning or trying something new. It takes time before you can get the “rock star” status and you can’t expect to be the best your first time around.  With anything, it takes several attempts and lots of practice. The article also stresses when in doubt, use your students! They can sometimes usually help you, especially when it comes to technology, if you aren't sure how to do something.

I found these tips to be extremely helpful and to be very true. I know I need to go back and use some of these tips in my classroom. I think I can be guilty of trying to throw too much at them at one time. I get these great project ideas in my head that I think would be great to do with the kids, but I try to do too much too fast and then the project just seems to be a bust.  A project that comes to mind would be little bird tales. Some students had no problems completing this project while others it seemed to take forever. I think I needed to refer back to these tips for that project! I know I should have used other students as a resource/teacher that could assist students that had questions. There were so many students that had questions and only one of me and I just found myself having a hard time getting around to each student.  I have a classroom full of students who love to help the teacher and would be great at helping their friends with small problems. I also think that I need to remember that it’s not going to be perfect the first time around, but I have to try to know. I think I expect these great things and when they don’t work exactly how I imagined I am hesitant to try it again. Just because it didn't go a certain way, doesn't mean it wasn't a success, just means I need to keep implementing it and not giving up! I think a lot of teachers would benefit from using these tips as a guide in their classrooms and I completely agree that teachers want to implement but the fear gets the best of them. We all need to remember to work together and help each other and without trying, we won’t know the success we could achieve. 

5 Things About Being A Technology Coach

http://edutechniques.com/?p=463

I was drawn to this article because I can see my self becoming a technology coach someday.  I also really appreciated the insight and practicality that it brought to the challenges of this position.

The first challenge addressed is the fact that some teachers will think that you do nothing all day.  While this is clearly not true their will be times that you will be behind a desk or in meetings.  It is important to remember to be out and about throughout the day so that teachers see you as an active member of the school.  Build relationships through one-on-one sessions.  You can also get into a classroom and co-teach or observe.  Being visible is important to the perception of this position.

Another thing to keep in mind is the teacher's perspective.  The workload and expectations put on teachers is heavy and when you throw on added work to change lessons to integrate technology, teachers will not be willing to take on more work.  Also, each teacher needs to be approached and challenged differently.  A tech-savy teacher needs to be pushed much differently than a teacher just being introduced to technology integration.  Differentiation will help support each teacher's individual needs.

Leading professional development is another key component of this position.  Teacher's are used to complaining about sit and get workshops that aren't helpful.  Leading PD is where you will be most visible to the staff and really make a huge mark for your position.  Collaboration and differentiation is important things to remember when planning the PD for technology for your school.

While this article is the most in-depth and detailed about how to approach all of these topics.  It is unique in what you should focus on in this position.  You will have to fight and compete to show teachers that your position is worthwhile at least in the beginning.  I agree with the ways that the article discusses how to go about tackling these issues.  I think it is incredibly important to be visible in the school, to build relationships with teachers, to differentiate the way you push/motivate teachers to integrate technology, and to dominate professional development workshops where you will be incredibly visible to the entire staff.

The tech coach position is vital to the achieving actual technology integration into the classroom for the entire school, but the fact remains that all teachers are not on board with spending money on this type of position.  This makes the job of a tech coach all the more difficult, but if done effectively can completely change the culture of the teachers in a school which will impact a greater number of students.

Putting Teachers at the Center of Education Technology

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/07/mit_blossoms_educational_tech_needs_nothing_but_a_tv_and_vcr.html


This article is very interesting.  Oftentimes we are hearing that teaching should move to more student centered and led, rather than teacher led.  Blossoms from MIT is a teaching model where technology is integrated and used by the teacher, but with the teacher as the one who leads and guides the instruction (the name stands for Blended Learning Open Source Science Or Math Studies).

The model for this came when the author visited a very poor area in China and saw how a teacher was using technology to show some things then leading a discussion about what was viewed.  Yes, the technology used was nothing more than a TV and VCR, but to that particular school, it could have been YouTube.

Mr. Larson, the creator of Blossoms found that using psychology of teaching and learning could be used to better design lessons.  He created many digital lessons where after a chunk of video the teacher would stop it and lead a discussion to bring out the most important and necessary tasks and information.  Also, knowing how humans learn, using group dynamics, and teaching how to work together in a team is very important because that is how most businesses work currently.  This is ironic, because in the current trends of educational technology, we are told the exact opposite.  Kids should work independently, at their own skill level and pace, and have completely different goals for each individual student.  This is not how learning happens for most, at least according to education psychologists.

I think this article is interesting simply because it shows how minimal technology can be slowly integrated into lessons with positive results.  As we have discussed often, there are many teachers who are hesitant or resistant to using technology. I believe if these types of lessons were shown to them, with teachers being reassured that they do have value still in the classroom, more teachers would morph into using at least some kind of technology. Most teachers went to school to help students learn.  By telling teachers that the students are the one to lead the discussions, to decide how things are done, it points out that teachers just aren't valuable.  Frankly I disagree.  Teachers are the ones who know the standards needed to be taught.  Teachers are already adults and know the things they learned which have been necessary for adulthood.  I believe most students are too immature or focused on their WANTS rather than the NEEDS that many subjects and lessons would be minimized if there were no teachers to guide and teach.

5 Skills That Games Teach Better Than Textbooks

http://pdf.101com.com/THEJournal/2014/THE_1410DG.pdf

Disclaimer:  The title of the article is 5 Skills that Games Teach Better Than Textbooks, but there are only four listed. (Unless I just missed the 5th one due to my red eye flight back from a conference in LA!)

The article discusses how gaming helps students learn concepts better than just using the textbook to teach the concept. In gaming, students become more competitive which increases their engagement in the activity, thus improving their understanding of the concept.

The first skill is connecting physical experiences with learning. The example given was teaching plate tectonics. The traditional method of teaching would be having students read the text and study pictures from a book. The book is only two-dimensional. Incorporating a simulation which allows students to move the plates by waving their hands in front of a screen and building mountains gives students the opportunity to become physically engaged with the topic.

The second is rising to the competition. Students do not compete in passive learning. Once a game is introduced, however, they become very competitive. It didn't matter whether the students were using technology or plain whiteboards, soft skills, like teamwork and collaboration are practiced. Students are eventually going to have to compete for jobs, and gaming helps them practice that skills.

The last two are teamwork and grasping systems thinking, or the desire to WANT to keep playing the game.  What I found interesting one of the examples here is that having students collaborate to write a story is gaming. There doesn't always have be access to expensive technology or simulations for gaming to take place in the classroom.

For gaming to be effective, align the game to common core and other standards and find games that fit the goal. Lastly, games can be high tech, low tech, or no tech as long as they fit the learning goal.

As I stated earlier, what I found most interesting is that gaming can be no-tech. Any activity that is aligned to the learning goal, creates competition, and creates an interest for the students to continue the activity is gaming. This is huge for me, as I realize I am already incorporating high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech games in my classroom. Gaming doesn't have to be a paid subscription service simulation. While there are still teachers in the high school who are unsure of using technology in their classrooms, they can still create an atmosphere of competition which can lead to higher student engagement.

Teaching the Teachers: Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Testing

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/teachingtheteachers

This article discusses some of the necessary changes to professional development in an era where teachers are expected to teach critical thought, collaboration, and reflection to their students.  While these are expected of teachers, they are not applied to professional development when training teachers to teach in this manner.

The author argues that professional development can no longer be one and done workshops because those types of professional development don't lead to the fundamental changes in teaching that are needed.  A common misconception is that teacher's just need to be given the information and that they can and will then be able to take that information back and apply it to their classroom.  While it is true that teachers generally can easily pick up the information, the author states that implementation is the hardest stage and is often an unsupported step in the process.  Ninety percent of  teachers participate in workshop style professional development.

As we have discussed in class, the author is in support of professional development that occurs over time and that is ongoing.  She stresses the need for support during the implementation phase because change often doesn't go well on the first try.  It takes practice.  A statistic included here was that only 10% of teachers can take information provided to them and effectively turn it into classroom practice.  She also noted that coaches/mentors can be effective and that professional development should occur in the context of the teacher's content area.

One final area discussed is funding for this change to professional development.  There are several statistics and case studies cited in this part of the article, but the argument is that if you eliminate workshop style professional development, that the professional development style discussed above is feasible with some work.

I think this article makes some good points.  Two that I thought were important are that while implementation is the most critical and difficult phase of professional development it is often the least supported and that professional development needs to be content specific.  For me, when I go to a conference, I often have very good intentions of implementing the new things that I learned there, and some of them I do, but honestly, the percentage is probably low.

The other thing with conferences now that budgets are tight is that often only one person can attend and they are to bring back the information to share with other teachers.  I understand that financially that is necessary, but then the information is presented second hand in an e-mail.  If more time was available for collaboration that information could be discussed and implemented with multiple teachers working together.

I think a high percentage of the teachers at the high school would benefit from professional development as described above.  Making it content specific would help to make it relevant to those that are hesitant to change and easier to see how to implement.  I also think most teachers here would be receptive.  If we were to use coaches/mentors, I think some training for those individuals would be key to making it successful.

Funding will always be an issue with any type of professional development and even if changes across the board can't happen, districts can find ways to use the money that is available in the most effective way possible.

Grading Teachers, With Data From Class

By FARHAD MANJOOSEPT. 3, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/technology/students-grade-teachers-and-a-start-up-harnesses-the-data.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar

This article caught my eye after seeing a different article about parent pushback on state testing. There was not much educational technology in that article and I had no trouble finding related stories (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article2261678.html).

This article was not so much about evaluating teaching ability with standardized testing as it was about evaluating teachers through student surveys. A tech start-up company, Panorama Education, is using special scanning software to do objective surveys without the expense of bubble paper. A pair of Yale grads in their 20's run the company. They are using computer saavy and surveys that are easier to collect in order to provide as much information as possible to root out solutions to current problems in education. Their efforts are gaining traction with backing from notables such as Mark Zuckerberg and Google Ventures.

This work is important because it may result in information which can improve education. By that I mean change really could happen. The survey results are designed to help teachers make changes in order to be more effective, better connect with students, and foster learning of their subject. I agree with the goals of the company. They have already tried surveys in thousands of schools. The intent is to focus on something other than standardized tests as a measure of teacher strengths and weaknesses. 

This is unlikely a free service. Our district, like most, will not be able to afford the analysis, but we still may be able to learn from the findings at other schools. However, in a surprise move, the company is offering an open source version of their survey 1.0 (survey access here).  One of the more interesting, but barely discussed aspects of the article was the bubble sheet scoring that did not require bubble sheets or a Scantron machine. This technology would be like GradeCam.

You Are Asking the Wrong Questions About Educational Technology

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2014/09/20/you-are-asking-the-wrong-questions-about-education-technology/

I came across this article from Forbes magazine and was mostly intrigues because it was from Forbes...then realized that it was written by Jordan Shapiro (who wrote previous article that we read "Mindshift's Guide to Games and Learning").  It seems as if the business world believes that education is far behind the curve when it comes to technology and that “education is the one industry that hasn’t embraced the technologies of the 21st Century.” Mr. Shapiro was quick to say that We shouldn't be too hasty to incorporate a bunch of new technologies just because of society's modern obsession with Progress.  We need to incorporate technology because it works.

One of the most interesting ideas that I took from this article was Shapiros comment: 

"running schools according to the wisdom of the business world is precisely the thought paradigm which led to the high stakes testing procedures that currently plague the United States. We account for learning outcomes as if they were profit margins. We measure the dividends returned on technology and infrastructure investments. We see children as industrial resources evaluated according to their ability to download ‘workplace skills.’"

I had never thought of it that way but it really clicked with me.  We do, in a way, look at students like numbers.  We are always trying to get more of a profit (better scores) out of our students based on assessments.  And now, with student growth as part of our evaluations, we are using our "profit margins" to say whether we are effective teachers or not.  If only more profit equated to more pay though, right???:). 

He also says that many place blame on poor government infrastructure For the poor implementation of technology in schools but that he is glad for this.  He thinks that it keeps us from moving too fast.  Many corporations Have increased productivity and profitability but at the expense of who???...the humans who operate them.  I can completely agree with this.  Technology has really sped up life.  We want everything NOW and know we can have it NOW so expect it NOW!!!

I really feel that this was a great article and Shapiro hit a lot of points right on the nose!

Teachers Using Tech Better than Digital Natives

Response by Tyler Breitbarth

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/10/22/report-teachers-better-at-using-tech-than-digital-native-students.aspx

There have been a lot of assumptions about students when it comes to technology. The assumption is: kids understand technology better, faster, and use it more efficiently than older generations, including teachers. A new study shows results that this assumption may not be true anymore. The New York Institute of Technology studied Middle School students in Science classrooms to determine:

• Do school-age students fit the digital native profile? 
• Do school-age students surpass their teachers in terms of technology use? 
• What roles do teachers play in shaping students' technology experiences inside the classroom?

The survey included 24 Middle School teachers and a little over 1,000 6-8th grade students in Utah and New York. The results found that students used technology outside of the classroom for working on school projects, social networking, and entertainment, but mostly for games and music. Teachers showed about the same purpose of use, but teachers were using the technology more often and to help solve daily problems, improve productivity, and as learning aids. The researcher also noted that the classroom teacher had little to no impact on students' technology skills due to the fact that students are given little opportunity to practice using technology beyond pursuing their own personal interests.

The importance of this study is huge for every teacher using technology in their classrooms. Personally, I have encountered the assumption that students "just know" how to use technology and do not need to be taught technology skills. Now the research is showing the need for more student training.

There have been studies done that to show that a person will be more productive in an environment that they are usually productive in, such as an office. Productivity suffers when in an environment where that person goes for entertainment or relaxation. One example of this is completing work in an office, not in a living room as there are usually more distractions such as a television. This also helps keep work and home separate. Some of these tactics can be used when using the internet, such as keeping a work e-mail and a personal e-mail in separate accounts. Same would go for social networking and games. In fact, on my home computer, I have two completely separate internet browsers for work and home to help eliminate distractions and increase my productivity.

The biggest point I took away from this article is:

"The report recommends that "high-quality training" be provided to teachers to help them learn how to integrate content-specific technology into their lessons and how to teach their students how to use technology more effectively."

I could not agree more with this statement. One thing that I have started at our district is working with teachers to develop lessons that provide technology skills within the content. Our district lacks any technology related class past 4th grade. How else will students learn and apply technology skills if not in the content areas of their classes? I personally take this issue to heart because, more than content, this teaches students digital learning skills that they can apply to college, career, or even their personal lives outside of school.

What your students really need to know about digital citizenship

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-need-to-know-vicki-davis

This article jumped out at me as I was going through the websites looking for my next professional reading.  With technology useage at an all time high  I think students need to learn not only how to be productive citzens in their everyday lives, but also how to conduct themselves and how to use these digital resources to their fullest potential, safely and wisely. I touched on some of this briefly when giving my Internet Safety lesson in September.  I also gave the 3rd and 4th graders a mini-lesson on digital "netiquette".  I was suprised at how many students didn't know the proper etiquette for how to conduct themselves online.  (Just because they are being "raised" in a tech world, doesn't mean they automatically know how to use it properly)

The author listed the "9 Key Ps" of digital citizenship.
1. Passwords: How to create a secure password  (there is a system called LastPass for remembering passwords-how does that work I wonder?)

2. Privacy: How to protect their private information

3. Personal Information: How to chose what information to share online (so it can't be used to identify you)

4. Photographs: Some private things (like license plates/street signs) can show up to locate you.  Do students know how to turn off geotagging features?

5. Property: Copyright laws!! How to cite properly (you can't just say Google Images as a source) and to see if you can even use the graphics that you cited.

6. Permission: Do students know how to ask permission to use things before citing it?

7. Protection: Do students know about viruses, malware, phishing etc. Identify theft??  (Interestingly enough, our district just had teachers/staff take a quiz online about the various dangerous of using computers and students personal information.)

8. Professionalism:  Here is when we teach them netiquette, online grammar, understanding cultural taboos etc.

9. Personal Brand: How do you want to be "perceived" online?

In addition to the list, the author mentioned various ways and tools she uses to tackle some of the above issues.  For example, turning students into teachers, they have to expose scams and how to protect themselves.

I also think this would be a good thing to teach parents and community members.  Everyone could benefit from learning more about this-might also lead into a discussion about cyberbullying as well.

Why Should I be Teaching my Kids to Code?

http://makerclub.org/should-i-be-teaching-kids-code/

This article discusses the importance of teaching children code. The author begins by discussing his own experiences with learning about computers during his school days. He talks about first waiting for the program to load, taking a screenshot, renaming, and emailing a file. End of lesson. He mentioned that he was not stimulated so he found other ways to utilize his time, like finding a game to play instead. He included a quote from Michael Gove “Teaching pupils, over and over again, how to word-process… [is] about as much use as teaching children to send a telex or travel in a zeppelin.Our new curriculum teaches children computer science, information technology, and digital literacy: teaching them how to code, and how to create their own programs: not just how to work a computer, but how a computer works and how to make it work for you. 

He goes on to explain what code is: the language computer use to speak to each other. He stresses that code is utilized in every computer from your iPad, to your watch, to your Netflix account. It's everywhere. This being said, some people might still wonder why teach it. There's the obvious answer that some students will grow up to write code. But what about those who don't? His response was that even though students who won't implement code in their future careers can still greatly benefit. 

• It teachers problem-solving skills. If your code won't work, what will you do to fix it giving the resources that you have? What will you have to look up to solve the problem? 
• It introduces math concepts such as variables and conditionals.
• It allows students to plan a layout or design 
• It also makes them use logic to create something that would be used or played

I do see the benefit in teaching children code. With programs like Scratch, children can develop an understanding for coding in a user-friendly way. Also, HERE is an article that lists 6 other coding sites aimed at kids. The first issue I see with this is who would be teaching students this and how will teachers find the time to integrate it into their day? Just thinking about it now, it could be an enrichment activity. I currently have Scratch on my classroom iPads, but I haven't taken the time to demo it to the kids. I can also see the concern of those teachers who are already hesitant about technology, being absolutely horrified if they were asked to introduce coding. As a possible solution, these resources could be made available to parents if time is such an issue. But then participation after that is entirely up to the families. We then get into the digital divide issue again where those students who don't have the tech won't get this skill. In the future, I can see this being bigger and more emphasized than it currently is. I think the benefits are obvious. Currently, it's just a matter of finding time to do whole-class introduction with it. 

It’s a Mistake Not to Use Mistakes as Part of the Learning Process

It’s a Mistake Not to Use Mistakes as Part of the Learning Process

http://www.edutopia.org//blog/use-mistakes-in-learning-process-richard-curwin

Dr. Richard Curwin

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of articles that discuss things like “I don’t know” is ok, and it’s important to learn with the students while you teach them. In this article, Dr. Richard Curwin discusses the nature of mistakes, and how they are a lost opportunity in most schools for a number of reasons. He writes that while looking back on his life, there are four different kinds of mistakes he has made:

1.       The mistakes he hid

2.       The mistakes he learned nothing from

3.       The mistakes he learned from

4.       The mistakes he learned from, and shared his new knowledge with others

Dr. Curwin states that because of the nature of schools teachers and students are almost encouraged to hide their mistakes. People judge teachers negatively for making mistakes. Teachers are expected to be perfect right out of college, and parents, administrators, other teachers and students look down on those of us who make mistakes. The only real, consistent exception to this is the mentor, mentee relationship.  Dr. Curwin believes that all schools would benefit if a culture of trust was fostered to the point of allowing teachers to admit their mistakes to colleagues, in order for everyone to learn from them. I can see the benefit of this, but human nature is going against this kind of plan. People tend to equate mistakes with shame, and because of this, it is easier for the majority of teachers to hide their mistakes, rather than share them.  If this kind of atmosphere could happen among staff members, perhaps it could happen in the classroom with students as well.

Mistakes are normal, and everyone makes them. They are not the problem. The problem with mistakes that students make is that all too often, they are NOT turned in to learning experiences. Because of this, most students don’t like to take risks, explore or think for themselves. If teachers could create a classroom where mistakes were ok, students would cheat less. Again, I agree with this, but it is something that would be very hard to start in a high school classroom. By the time they get to me, most students are conditioned to believe that mistakes are bad, and shameful. Dr. Curwin goes on to list 9 ways to start to make the change, and even if it is tough to change conditioned, high school students, I believe it is still worth a try. Some of the more interesting ones are:

1. Stop marking errors on tests and papers without explaining why they're wrong. Give enough explanation to help your student understand what went wrong and how to fix it. A big red X is insufficient. I admit that there are times when I get lazy about this. There are plenty of teachers who are great at feedback and I think this might be the easiest way to start to foster a trust with your students when it comes to making mistakes.
2. Give students a chance to correct their mistakes and redo their work. This allows mistakes to become learning opportunities. This one lends itself to learning from mistakes, because it allows the students to find the correct answers on their own, instead of the teacher telling them they are wrong and leaving it at that.
3. When a student makes a mistake in a class discussion, don't say things like, "No, wrong, can anyone help him?" Don't just call on someone else without further comment. Instead, ask the student, "Why do you think so? Can you give an example? If you could ask yourself a question about your answer, what would it be?" I personally try to do this one as much as possible. I like to foster class discussion and believe it is extremely important in class discussion. If discussion is going to occur, the students need to feel comfortable speaking. If I were to shoot down every off the wall answer I got in class, no one would want to speak at all.

This article is interesting, and in my experience, in the classes where trust between teacher and student is reached, the level of education and learning drastically increases. It makes a lot of sense to try and foster that trust between staff and administration, and other staff as well. 

Kindergarten is the Model for Lifelong Learning

 http://www.edutopia.org/kindergarten-creativity-collaboration-lifelong-learning

This article talks about how much Kindergarten has changed and transformed over the years and in many ways is claimed or labeled as the new “first grade.”  The article talks about how when kindergarten first started it was a place for building towers, painting, making friends, and learning to share. Nowadays kindergarten has transformed in doing what the rest of the school is doing: worksheets.  The article talks about how the “rest of the school” should be more like kindergarten, in the fact that they are having to use different abilities to think creatively and work collaboratively.   The article talks about how we need these skills in preparation for the fast changing society. The article goes on to talk about how these skills are not supported in the classroom because of two reasons one our society and educational system does not place enough importance on critical thinking and lack of media and technologies.  It says painting and blocks are great for the younger students when learning numbers and letters, but when children get older they need to work on more advanced concepts and in order for that to happen they need different tools, media, and materials.  This research group has been developing new technologies to support this approach in learning. They have been working on robotic kits that allow children to imagine and create interactive inventions in the same sense has kindergarteners build with blocks.  The article talks about a program called Scratch, a free download, where children can create stories, games, and animations, and share them with others around the world. 

I found this article to be very interesting because I do think so much emphasis these days is put on testing kids. I know in our district in kindergarten, we spend a lot of time assessing the students whether it be MAP testing or for report cards. It feels sometimes as if we finish one assessment and already are starting assessing for another round of report cards. I think we need to let children have time to explore, create, and collaborate. I do think students learn a lot just by interacting with one another and this is true in any grade! I think it is especially important for the older grades to have time to explore, create, and collaborate as well! I think teachers need to be more open to using technology to enhance their lessons other than just handing out the simple worksheet. I try to incorporate technology as much as I can, but I think there is always room for improvement on my end. I know I am not using it to its full capabilities! 

High Impact Professional Development For Rural Schools

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/stw-tech-integration-professional-development

I chose this article because it was about successful professional development that was backed with evidence. Since the implementation of the PD at Hartville Elementary, the schools' test scores have improved immensely. I was most interested in the type of PD they were using and also the structure of the PD. The school invested in eMINTS program which stands for Enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies. This article mentioned how because of the success of eMINTS, the program has traveled to many places including Australia to put on professional development. The program has keys to success -- the structure of each PD as well as the layout of the program, the material covered dealing mostly with technology, and follow through with teachers.

The structure of each PD made a lot of sense, as it follows the structure of lessons we teach to students! eMINTS's goal is to turn teachers into learners again rather than letting them think they know it all and need no guidance. The structure of the PD reflects this. Here is the structure:

• First 15 minutes: Teachers get settled and the trainer leads them through a fun collective exercise, e.g., each participant picks an image from a group of pictures (famous paintings, wild animals, landscapes) that depicts their feelings about their progress in digesting their eMINTS training experience.
• Next 30 minutes: The class views a video of creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson on building a creative classroom culture. Discussion follows about how to put the ideas into practice.
• Next 70 minutes: The class divides into groups, and each group uses simple materials to construct a product inspired by Robinson's words. Groups reflect on the process and draw conclusions about how to implement a similar project in their classrooms.
• Next 50 minutes: The class focuses on how to develop an assessment tool to measure creativity, and teams reflect on how to use the tool in their classrooms.
• Final 15 minutes: Participants redo the pick-an-image exercise, this time to reflect their feelings about what they've learned about creativity, followed by closing thoughts on how they will implement what they've learned that day in their classrooms.

As you can see, the PD starts with a hook, learning time, collaboration, assessment, and then a wrap up--just like a good lesson we teach our students should be! It makes sense that this is effective. Another thing that I thought was really important that this program promotes is eye contact. We have been talking in class a little about how some teachers come to PD with the attitude that they do not need any help and they are above the opportunity. Some even bring things to grade because they don't see the PD as important. The eMINTS program stresses eye contact during PD. They expect participants to be giving eye contact and showing respect--just what we expect from our students! 

The program takes pride in these "essentials": Duration, Coherence, Relevance, and Coaching. They try to schedule the sessions far enough apart so teachers have time to implement and reflect. The sessions are centered around what the school needs. eMINTS makes sure it fits with the school and also  what the administration believes the school needs to be successful -- a tailored PD. Teachers are expected to try what they learned right away in the classroom. I would imagine teachers would want to try what they learned because of the relevance. It should make teachers excited! Lastly, the coaching aspect tries to have someone available periodically for teacher questions and concerns.

This seems like a great program! I feel like any school could benefit from something like this. I think the most valuable aspect of this is the structure and the fact that there is follow through. Being a two year program, teachers know what to expect every time and it might be a little easier for some to take seriously. Lincoln Grade School would greatly benefit from something like this! Overall, we have a proactive staff who I know would be onboard with this focused program. Besides the cost of $22,000 for the program, I really don't see any downsides!

The Power of "I Don't Know"

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-i-dont-know-heather-wolpert-gawron


Heather Wolpert-Gawron is an English language arts teacher that has changed her classroom from a spoon-feeding lecture style to an environment that embraces the answer "I don't know."  Wolpert-Gawron substantiates that the role of the teacher in the classroom is changing, from information giver to information facilitator.  She feels that teachers need to embrace the concept of "I don't know" to push students to find information for themselves instead of relying on the teacher to provide it.

Wolpert-Gawron has decided to create an environment that forces her students to create the questions and search for answers.  Instead of copying notes, memorizing facts and vocabulary from handouts, and using fill-in-the-blank paragraphs, she teaches her students to develop questions that have the answer "I don't know."  In order to make this an effective strategy for learning, Wolpert-Gawron creates an atmosphere where "I don't know" is an acceptable response that leads to research and self-discovery; it is not a weakness, but should lead to finding the answer.

One way that Wolpert-Gawron uses this strategy is to model it through teaching digital literacy in the classroom.  Her first exercise to show students how to find the answer is to "make Google do the work."  Wolpert-Gawrom states that "Google doesn't make people stupid...", but instead a search engine only does what is asked of it, so to make it an effective tool, we need to teach students how to ask it the right questions and limit the information it provides.  This requires students to use the advanced search tools and focuses on providing key words.

Wolpert-Gawron also requires students to use the Internet in a timed scavenger hunt to promote more accurate searches for information.  This requires students to again use key word combinations that force Google to work for them.

Finally, Wolpert-Gawron incorporates activities that require students to verify the information.  She educates her students about how inaccurate or biased information can lead to inaccurate or biased answers. She requires students to verify answers, especially given by websites like Wikipedia, using the "triangulating the data" method to verify accuracy in their discovery.

I appreciate the revolutionary style of teaching that Wolpert-Gawron is promoting.  I can see the relevance and with the availability of the Internet in our pockets, we need to encourage students to become seekers of the answers.  Her suggestions about modeling this style in digital literacy lessons would easily be applicable in multiple classrooms, but it would require a teacher with the maturity to admit not knowing all the answers and capable of showing that vulnerability.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENT CENTERED TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

http://www.academia.edu/1808822/Professional_Development_for_Student_Centered_Technology_Integration

This article begins by talking about how the one-time session or workshops are highly ineffective as effective professional development.  Professional development needs to be ongoing and student-centered.  The research shows that teachers go through stages with the integration of technology.  They begin with integration that is familiar and not transformative.  Transformative technology integration only comes through perseverance through setbacks and failures.  It can take a teacher 5-6 years to master technology integration.
Studies show that technology proficiency decreases with age and number of years teaching.  These teachers need ongoing support versus one stop workshops.  They need a community of support and the time to research and explore how to integrate technology.
This article looked at 14 different studies and drew many conclusions of what educators are looking for in professional development.  School leadership support was a factor found in three studies.  Almost all studies valued teacher collaboration in the within the professional development environment.  Another significant factor found in many of the studies is the need for individualized professional development to meet the specific needs of the teachers.
I think this article hits on many great points.  Learning to integrate technology is a process that takes time.  It begins in a familiar way, but if we are willing to push and persevere it can be transformative and student centered.  This only happens through experimentation and time.
School leadership is a big key in the buy-in for teachers.  Administration needs to model technology integration to provide an example to teachers.  Also collaboration during professional development is overlooked in most sessions and is a big factor in how we learn.  The individualized professional development is another key area that is often missed.  Departments have different needs and so a one size fits all approach is often ineffective.  Pre-assessing teachers and departments in order to determine their needs is a good way to start planning effective professional development.