INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CLASSROOM 2014

In what ways have you grown as a professional while taking this course? How can you use the knowledge gained to increase your leadership within the corporation?

I have increased my knowledge about technology while taking this course.  I will use this knowledge in my classroom, in my role as a member of the technology committee, and in providing professional development for the faculty.

Philosophy and theory of how to incorporate technology into the curriculum is one of the areas in which I learned the most in this class.  It was not one of the reasons I signed up for the class and some articles addressed issues I had not considered yet with 1:1 implementation.  Discussions about digital citizenship or digital reputation brought different insights into a problem that is very frustrating to me.  Responsible students who are well behaved in the real world display behavior in the digital world which is not consistent with their personalities.  They post things online and make up personalities or lie about their age to see if they can get by with it.  Internet safety rules don't seem to have much meaning or value to many of them.  Although digital education can offer new level 4 activities that involve higher level thinking skills and projects not possible prior to devices, what devices are actually being used for falls far short of those goals.  Digital worksheets are just expensive workbooks.

New websites and software opportunities were plentiful in this course.  I used Symbaloo, Mendaley, and Padlet in class activities.  I shared class articles with my personal PLC group and with writing consultants in my National Writing Project group.  My PLC group created their own Symbaloos and a science teacher tried a couple of the websites in her classes.  I took the class to learn more about current software and website trends and to learn what some of the latest developments are and I was not disappointed.

The third reason I took the course is to learn about 1:1 technology projects for my technology committee.  Our school corporation will probably go 1:1 in the 2015 to 2016 school year.  I am concerned about whether or not 1:1 will work.  Our greatest obstacle will be the lack of connectivity in the community due to dead zones.  Our second greatest obstacle will be our school network.  My fear is that when we buy the devices and spend a lot of money, they won't work.  The school has a history of technology projects that were planned, purchased, and did not work as hoped.  We have five i-Touch carts from a grant project.  The carts and the Wi-Fi worked well in some areas of the building, but did not work well in other areas.  My classroom is in a hall where Wi-Fi is not reliable.  It is hard to buy into a project that will die in the middle of class.  Although I love technology myself and go back to Apple IIe, I can list easily the well-intended projects that did not work because of interconnectivity or the school network blocking websites that needed to work for the webquests to be successful.  Our technology committee hopes to put several steps in place before we begin a 1:1 implementation.  Our first step this school year is a schoolwide survey of the staff to if people buy into the proposed project.  Buy-in from the students, parents, and community will follow.  Curriculum planning, studying devices, seeing what needs to be fixed in the network and infrastructure are other steps in the overall success. It has been helpful to read articles and discussions from people who have actually done 1:1.   I have enjoyed this class and happy that I had the opportunity to participate.

How “connected” is my classroom?

I took this technology class to learn about the latest cutting edge in technology and software.  I consider myself to be a “connected” teacher in that I have used technology in my classroom since the Apple IIe arrived and I’ve always been inspired by  new innovations.  But, this class has asked me to really look at how technology is being integrated.  Am I using the device to really teach higher level thinking skills, or am I just using technology to glorify technology without thinking about the results (SMAR model of substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition).  I now explore the impact of integrating technology on both teaching and learning.  I am teaching in a Blended or Flipped Classroom, not a 1:1 environment.  Therefore, learning takes place with and without technology.

Can’t I do Padlet on the blackboard using paper and tape?  Do I really need a computer?  Is it more engaging for the class to collaboratively participate in active learning the old-fashioned way?  Technology standards attempts to outline a progression that educators follow in their journey toward redefining teaching and learning with technology.  It’s more fun to do Padlet than to post pencil/paper replies on the real classroom wall or blackboard, but it’s not any higher level in Bloom’s taxonomy.  Students may be more motivated to engage in class discussion if they are typing their response in Padlet and seeing it project through the In-Focus projector, but what are they really learning?  

Kids can see through learning for the sake of using the devices daily and if the learning is not active and engaging, they will grow tired of the new shiny device.  Teachers feel pressure to show they are using the new technology in their lesson plans, but are we really modifying and redefining or just substituting?  These are hard questions and have made me stop and examine how really innovative my classroom is.

Some technology class members have expressed opinions about the digital natives (younger teachers and students) and the non-natives (the veterans who did not grow up with electronic devices).  I don’t really think age has anything to do with success in technology one way or the other.  Focus and intent are the most important variables.  A digital native can be totally unconnected to the environment around him and clueless about his digital reputation as he feels entitled to do or say whatever.  A non-digital native may have to try harder to be comfortable with the devices, but if the desire and interest is there, he/she should not be written off because of the generation in which he/she grew up.  The veteran set can be just as hip and because they have to try harder since it doesn’t come naturally to them, they may see faults in the implementation that the younger set doesn’t even think about.  I’ve seen both younger and veteran teachers become uncomfortable using devices or technology in the classroom.  Engaging students in technology with a specific purpose that rises above simply making paper/pencil worksheets into digital worksheets is certainly the first step.  Basic classroom management will also play a huge factor whether the environment is 1:1 or Blended. 

Since I teach English 10, a large focus of my job is preparing students to pass the End of Course Assessment (graduation test).  I encourage creative thinking.  Every unit covered has an essential question.  Sometimes students may discover “new” essential questions as there are many different ways to look at curriculum and no absolutely right answer.  I’m not teaching math, where 2 plus 2 always equals 4.  I’m teaching values, ethics, character development and obligation.  While some students may think that Brutus was noble when he listened to the conspirators and tried to save his city from Caesar, others think he should have seen them for what they were and saved his best friend.  Is it possible to teach students critical thinking and technology skills and still prepare them for the knowledge based state tests?  I think the SMAR model applies well.  I can ramp up the content by having the students analyze and evaluate.  When they do that and collaboratively create a final presentation for the class, the learning sticks.  Sometimes they create an amusement park flyer using Publisher that includes creative rides (the Fountain of Fire) and interesting restaurants.  Sometimes they write Shrink poems about the characters.  Occasionally, the Ghost of Caesar makes an appearance, but they are taking elements of the play and redefining them.  

The concept of collaborative learning, the grouping and pairing of students for the purpose of achieving an academic goal, may be accomplished using various Google Doc applications, but in a blended classroom such as mine sitting around the table and talking in small groups while putting together a class project does not require a computer.  Active learning occurs with or without the devices as the students are engaged in the learning.  The group includes students at various levels working together in small groups toward a common goal with each choosing a level of expertise suited to their chosen task.  The artistic student chooses to create something hands-on, the writer chooses to work on the speech or script, and the student gifted in speaking to the class takes on the task of bringing the project “to life” for the class presentation. The students are responsible for one another's learning as well as their own. Thus, the success of one student helps other students to be successful.

How can we teach students to demonstrate their mastery/understanding when they aren't given explicit requirements?  Although Ben Johnson and Lindsey Wright both advocate turning the classroom over to students and letting them decide what to teach and learn, my school is far from that philosophy.  I give them rubrics which are open-ended enough that they may collaborate, analyze, evaluate, and organize products or projects while following the state standards and the curriculum for my class.  As with Julius Caesar, there are many different options they may use to think critically and create, but they have stated parameters about what an exceptional product/project should contain.  It will be at least a year before my school system goes 1:1, or longer, but there will have to be a major shift in the management of schools and how education is implemented in Indiana before the classroom instruction is turned over to the students without explicit requirements.

Googling My Digital Footprint

Many people are named Patricia Keefe so Goggling myself often makes me smile.  Today the first result was a recent grave in Richmond, Kentucky.  Thankfully, that is not me - yet.

Only five of us live in Indiana.  I located myself and clicked.  Sleuths can find my address, phone number, probable relatives, and a map marker.  A Google Earth ariel view of my home may be zoomed out and in.  For $2.95, I may access eighteen public records in my profile that include birth certificate, property information, college degree, teaching license, and others.  Sometimes I am tempted to pay the fee to see if I might learn something I don't know about myself.  Data systems do make mistakes.

My name will come up for various websites.  I have a resume typed up on Linked In, which includes references and accomplishments of my career.  I have a blog of professional writing that includes articles about education, but does not share with the Internet what my religious or political viewpoints might be.  I have a "secure" account on Facebook that users are not supposed to be able to access unless I have accepted them as friends.  I am not stupid enough to believe that it is really secure and even know how you may easily hack into it.  I am careful about what I post to update my status and what pictures I share.  I'm sure that my profile could be evaluated as "boring" and Facebook is continually asking me where I live, where I went to high school, and other information that I have not added.  You can't even see my birthdate.

You could learn that my passions are pontooning on Patoka Lake and writing. There are pictures from writing retreats I have attended and a blog entry "Connect with your Inner Muse in North Carolina" that will appear.  I often post about how super wonderful the day at the lake was AFTER I return home from the lake.  The Extending Lilly Teacher Creativity Workshop picture from last July is my large profile picture.  These things I am not afraid to share with whomever might want to learn more about me.

I do not gossip in chatrooms or on Facebook.  I don't post that I'm going to be gone on the weekend, nor do I post anything negative about people or work.  As a journalism minor, I am well aware of libel and slander laws and I am shocked by what I see posted by others.  My philosophy is that the glass is always half full.  There are new challenges out there; I just need to find them.

Maintaining a positive footprint is not difficult.  Think about what you post and remember that even if you delete pictures or posts, the internet has a long memory and there are programs that can retrieve what was posted even if you think it is gone forever. 

Discussions in class about the current events and things that happen regarding the internet can encourage students to think about what image they are projecting.   If you would not say something face to face to another person, should you really post it online?  Who is going to see the picture of your friends and you drinking at Saturday night's party?  What kind of a message is it going to send to others about you?  Maybe you don't like a political figure, is making fun of him/her online a good idea?  Do you really want people to know you will be in Florida during spring break and no one will be at your house?

A former Assistant Principal included many of the students as Facebook friends and learned a great deal about what was happening at school and beyond from their posts.  Students did actually upload pictures from shopping trips they took when they were home "sick".  Sometimes they tried to bully others into fights at school, which gave him a forewarning of what might happen in the cafeteria during 6th period the next day.  Discussion about what happened on field trips or in classes also provided useful feedback.  Duh?

I have been filling out job recommendations for summer employment for students and have reminded them (again) that employers may Google their names and see what comes up online.  Negative posts about others, posts that include inappropriate language every other word, and horrible spelling or grammar may cost a student an interview for a job they would have been great at doing.  Online behavior often does not reflect classroom behavior or behavior that a student would be smart enough to use in a job setting.  Pictures, political views, inappropriate religious statements, and slams against "hating this stupid town and all the people in it" will not win friends.  

The best advice to give students is to think about what they are doing when creating their digital footprint and not posting things they will regret.

Managing Classroom Technology: Level Two

Annie Murphy Paul, author of Freedom, digital distraction and control published in Digital/Edu, divides teacher control of classroom technology into three areas.  Control by authority, control through technology, and self control of students are her categories.

I self assess myself to fall into the category of control by technology.  Students are given identities and passwords for the class moodle and a class assessment website on the first day of school. They create a symbaloo and Mendeley to help organize their research.

Students type classwork into Microsoft Word and print poetry or writing to turn in on a daily basis.  They have a routine schedule to follow with vocabulary video quizzes on Prism (moodle) to be completed every Friday.  They pace themselves and may access the moodle or the class assessment website on their phones, if necessary.

Shoals Jr./Sr. High School does not have an official 1:1 set up yet.  Students lose computer access depending on the infraction or the number of times they are written up for the misuse of resources (video games, cell phone texting, etc.).  I loved Paul's example of the "procrastination shame spiral" which all of us have fallen to at some point in time.  It is difficult for teenagers to stop minimizing the word processing screen if they think they can better their score on a video game, but it is imperative to their grade point average that they maintain self-control.

Control by technology works well for my students who love to learn.  It is great for the students who live to write and who can't wait to see what the new assignment challenge is.  These students would sign up for English even if it was not a required course.

But what about the student who hates English?  Those who would rather be outside changing the oil in the truck?  What about the unmotivated student who is there because his/her probation officer mandates it?  Not all students want to learn educational technology!  Not all want to do internet research or writing assignments!

Self control will only work under the most perfect circumstances.  If a scientist thinks he/she is about to make a breakthrough discovery that will have a profound effect on mankind, he/she may not be distracted.  If an author is finishing the last chapter revision on a book, he/she wants no interruptions. If a software developer is about to fix a glitch in a new program, he/she wants no questions.

But, most of the time people are doing mundane work tasks that may become tedious or boring.  A quick check of e-mail, a short stop at Twitter, ordering a book in Amazon, or a routine scan of Facebook can break the monotony and no one ever plans to stay off task for more than five minutes.  So, if there is a deadline tomorrow and he/she has been exploring the net off-task for four hours, where is the self-control?

I do not expect to see a day when each and every one of my students in each of my classes has mastered self control on the internet.  I would be a hypocrite if I said I do it myself.  It's 10 p.m. and I've been grading English essays for three hours, what can a quick five minute check of Pinterest do except lift my sprits?  Anyone who says they are never diverted from their primary task online is "stretching the truth", as Mark Twain used to say.  Self control is something to place on a bucket list, but it may take a lifetime to reach.

Organizing Curated Resources

Creative writing is an important part of my class.  I write many examples of poems or short stories which I share with students to model the assignments.  My non-digital resource is a notebook of printed pages.  My digital resource is a folder in Harmony marked English 10 and a backup of the writing posted in the notes tab on Facebook.  This gives me three places to locate the resource when lesson planning.

I use many video clips from you tube or Ted and have saved several in favorites.  I also post some of the most beloved clips to my Facebook wall to locate quickly.

Pinterest is a relatively new sharing website for me.  I have developed folders in which I share pictures, videoclip links, and online lesson plans.  I also have a Professional Development folder and folders for my friends identified by their names.  I pin ideas I want to share in their folders.  This is a great way to organize and collect digital resources.

Students as Stakeholders in 1:1 Technology

If I ask you about technology, you may immediately think of fun toys you use to entertain yourselves - games on your latest i-phone, x-box, or Chromebook.  The song you just downloaded from i-Tunes.  The video from the Homecoming Dance your BFF posted on Facebook.  But, 1:1 technology in the classroom is a huge change in what we define as education.

Communication, collaboration, and comprehension are the three C's of learning objectives in technology integration.

Online technology allows you to communicate worldwide in a number of seconds.  Posting on Facebook not only immediately reaches your friend group, but can be seen by anyone who has access to Facebook whether they are in your friend group or not.  They may snark into your web identity to read what you post and learn more about you than you intend.

It is the responsibility of the school to make sure that your use of the internet for classroom content is safe and that the classroom forums you use are secure. Harmony, My Big Campus, Prism, and other educational formats allow password protected forums and databases. 

It is the responsibility of the student to practice good digital citizenship.  You must remember that what you post online can be googled and read by others.  Pictures or comments could be used to determine awards, scholarships, or even future jobs.

Google Drive+ and Google Docs allow you to discuss and collaborate with others.  As classrooms integrate lessons to provide 21st Century learning skills, students will work on authentic real world projects collaborating online to create meaningful projects.

It is the responsibility of the students to practice good computer etiquette.  Bullying or name calling online is not part of the collaborative process.  Students must learn to work together online in Google Doc discussions or in adding assigned parts of a group project which will become a classroom presentation.  Four students may divide a presentation into parts with each student uploading a part of the presentation into the final product.

Students must comprehend how to use software and how to search for information.  1:1 computer programs will include many different software programs depending on what the classroom curriculum covers.  Math programs will be integrated into classes which use math concepts.  Research software will help students store digital content they have researched as well as assist them in citing the material in bibliographies.  You will receive a list of software programs that we will be using in English 10 and a list of programs in which you may store digital materials for later writing projects.

It is the responsibility of the student to use class time wisely and remain on the websites or software programs assigned.  Minimizing the assigned pages to play video games, writing e-mail, or texting are not wise uses of class time and could result in the suspension of internet use if repeated violations are reported. 

Authentic assessment of digital projects produced will evaluate comprehension of concepts and standards studied.  Comprehension may also include online tests, quizzes, constructive written response, surveys, research paper, or essays.

You are the ambassadors of the 1:1 technology integration project.  The projects you create will be on display at a Parent and Community Open House.  You may write newspaper articles or blog about your digital journey to encourage other teenagers to explore what you have learned during the semester.

Problem Solving: Seeking AHA Moments!

Problem solving is the most important 21^st Century Skill that I hope my students retain for the future.  21^st Century teachers spend less time creating presentations and more time crafting powerful learning activities in which students collaborate and think for themselves.  Student assessment shows that material is covered with more depth and retention the first time around, saving time and energy in the long run. Students use higher level thinking skills and by doing so experience those awesome aha moments in education that every teacher dreams about seeing. By allowing my students to explore and design, I show that I believe in their abilities and validate each student’s contribution to the class. Students work harder when they are actively engaged in a project and believe that someone has high expectations for their work.

In technology-infused discovery activities, Internet research, virtual manipulatives, and multimedia resources allow students to explore unanswered questions. For example, sophomores will learn to use Monterey to help organize their research and annotate articles as they work on a topic of their choice.  The online software program will replace notecards, notebooks, and copy machine folders of research, and help students access what they are studying in a more timely manner.  

Creating the presentation will provide a choice of multi-media programs:  Animoto, i-Movie, cell phone videoes, digital pictures, screenshots of graphs and drawings, music clips, clips of interviews or aha moments that students discovered while doing the research are just a few possibilities.  

Students may also use online programs for creating citations and bibliographies.

Discovery activities give students real-world, problem-solving experience and ownership. Problem solving active learning allows them to bring their observations into the subsequent lesson, discussion, or creation activity as prior knowledge.

Class assessment of student presentations and projects created, self assessments by individual or group members, and teacher assessments of what the student(s) accomplished through the project can be a positive learning experience.  Students may see what weak areas they need to improve in the next problem solving activity.  They may also bask in the spotlight created by the success of what they have accomplished.