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!