Demonstrate How Technology, Basic Apps, and Resources Can Fit into the ClassroomIn my last post I discussed bridging the gap between troubleshooting and effective technology integration. I discussed ideas from Ruben Puentedura, the SAMR Model, and Jen Roberts, the TECH Model. I also discussed Everett Rogers' idea about the Law of Diffusion of Innovation. All of these culminated in the idea that as technology coordinators, coaches, integrations - whatever you call us - we are the Innovators or the Early Majority. We help to eliminate the stress teachers feel from the avalanche of new technology and the onslaught of new classroom management headaches that more technology brings because we are willing to try it, fail, and try again before we bring it to the Majority. A lot of teachers feel the same way Carl does at the beginning of Up when it comes to technology; Carl doesn't want to sell his property and move, like how a teacher is comfortable with the classroom structure they have developed for their room and don't want to upset the classroom balance too much with new technology. Also, after Ellie's death, Carl doesn't want anyone else in his life, like how teachers don't want new technology that isn't flushed out and is ready to present and begin using with students. In this post we will look at the strategies teacher can use that incorporate good Web 2.0 resources. Subsequent post will look at specific resources and how they relate to those categories. The interesting dynamic between what teachers want in technology and how they feel about technology is very interesting. Our district uses a service from BrightBytes to survey staff and students about their feelings toward technology and the usage of technology within the district. The feelings in our district are similar to a BrightBytes' national survey of users which said over 85% of teachers believe technology can enhance learning and over 75% of teachers believe learning is more engaging with technology. Other research put together by BrightBytes from Bendania says, teachers’ “enjoyment” in using technology was the greatest predictor of whether they used online learning tools with students (Bendania, 2011). To that same point, the more experience teachers have with technology, the more likely they are to have positive attitudes towards technology and its educational value (Buabeng-Andoh, 2012). If I can give teachers more opportunities with different technology, more specifically Web 2.0 tools, they will inherently get more comfortable with it as they use it. By that logic, the more comfortable with technology they become the more they may come to enjoy it. By the end of Up, Carl has been forced to live life and engage with other people out of the "gravity" of his situation throughout the movie. After Carl and Russell have defeated Charles Muntz, Carl discovers he has found comfort and a better life when other people were in his life. I think the same can be said for technology in the classroom. At first it might be a pain and it's easier to get along without it because things have been running smoothly for years, but once technology has been introduced into the classroom teachers find that it has only enhanced the classroom adventure. Old School vs. New SchoolTechnology has changed so much in the past 30 years. Think about in the 80's when the only computer games kids played were Oregon Trail and Number Munchers (1986). Think again about how the landscape changed shortly after the new millennium when Nintendo introduced the Wii (2006) and Apple introduced their first iPhone and then their iPad three years later. Engagement with those first few games in the 80s were amazing and students clamored to get to the computer lab to play more even with little to no graphics. Nintendo made those games more accessible with the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), but it was really the Wii that changed the landscape of home consoles and made them more personally interactive. Around the same time, Sony introduced their Playstation Network connecting users across the internet and allowing them to play together. In 2007, Mojang developed Minecraft and since its inception there are over 100 million registered users (Thompson, 2016) and over 30 billion views of Minecraft on YouTube fan channels (Owadenko, 2014). Minecraft's popularity allowed it a place in the classroom, peaking the interest of Microsoft, who purchased it for 2.5 billion dollars. Microsoft then went on to develop it further creating classroom content for desktop and mobile computing devices. Now students have moved on to Fortnite, which has overtaken Minecraft in video popularity on YouTube. As educators we need to adapt and embrace technology in our classrooms because students are embracing it in every facet of their lives. Bringing the 4 Cs to the 21st Century StudentAs educators, we have a great opportunity to guide our students in their technology use. A great resource to do that comes from the people at P21: the Partnership for 21st Century Learning. On their website they have provided the Framework for 21st Century Learners, which lays out a lot of different areas for schools to cover: subjects & themes; learning & innovation skills; info, media, & tech skills; life & career skills; when trying to develop students into 21st century learners. Jennifer Nichols, from teachthought.com, simplifies 21st century learning down to four areas: student-centered; collaborative; a context for learning; creating responsible citizens. To develop a 21st century learner, classrooms should focus on utilizing resources that can include the 4 Cs: communication; collaboration; critical thinking; creativity. In conclusion...Over the next couple of weeks I will take a break from the fundamentals of technology integration and look at specific ways to use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom that fit each of the 4 Cs. The apps will feature ways to backchannel, participate in an exit ticket, demonstrate understanding, or build something interactive. I will try and find several examples of non-device specific Web 2.0 tools. I will give information about the cost of the tool, and I will provide some context about why the Web 2.0 tool was chosen. There will also be links to the resources that are discussed in the blog so you can check them out for yourself. If you have any good Web 2.0 tools you'd like to add to the list please comment below to share with other educators. Technology in the classroom can only get better and easier if we work together to find good alternatives for technology use and integration to enhance learning and not use technology as a substitute from what is already being done.
0 Comments
|
AuthorTechnology Educator Archives
November 2020
Categories
All
|